As if Summit postponement wasn't enough: CICC is leaking

The brand new P500 million Cebu International Convention Center is leaking.

And with the water went down the drain, at least temporarily, all the passions and energies that went into Cebu's coming out party as host to the 12th Asean Summit that was to have begun today.

That dream ended in dismay and disarray after the Philippine government suddenly postponed to January the high profile meeting of 10 Asean heads of state and at least six of their counterparts from as many dialogue partner countries.

The official reason given was bad weather posed by typhoon Seniang which, at the time the decision to postpone was made, appeared to be bearing down on Cebu. As it turned out, the typhoon crossed only the northern portion of Cebu last night.

The persistent speculation, both in official circles and outside it, is that a series of terror warnings issued by the United States, Britain and Australia, three countries that are in the forefront of the global war on terror, was the main reason for the postponement.

But President Arroyo insisted the only reason was the weather. " The Philippines is responsible for the safety and well-being of the summit participants in the face of inclement weather, " she said in a statement. " I thank the leaders for their understanding and support. "

As if to reassure Cebuanos, the president repeated what had already been said at the time the postponement was announced Friday, that the summit would still be in Cebu on the first week of January.

But at the CICC nobody was cheering, despite the brave attempts of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to lift the pall of gloom with a small dose of Cebuano humor: " It only leaks when it rains. "

Becoming earnest, Garcia said it was good that the leaks were noticed so they can be fixed.

The architect, Manuel Guanzon, defended his design, saying it is but normal for new structures to spring leaks at the first rain. " If your building is new, that is what usually happens. "

Besides, Guanzon said, yesterday was supposed to be the day the 27,000 square-meter building was to undergo flood-testing. " We were supposed to have it flood-tested, but then it rained. Anyway it was a good thing as the water came free. "

As the rains spawned by typhoon Seniang seeped through the roof and came in through the windows, delegates and foreign media who came days ahead of the summit also flooded out in commercial and official flights out of the Mactan International Airport.

" It would have been a big chance for the Philippines, " said Jonalyn Cacal, a security worker at the luxurious seaside Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort where disconsolate workers were packing up the signs and banners meant to celebrate the summit. " We have been preparing ourselves on security for so long, " she said.

And security was what most people took to be the real reason for the postponement, not bad weather.

Newspapers, journalists and officials questioned the official line, some venturing that concerns about a possible attack in Cebu were legitimate. " The real fear was an incident on the fringes of the summit and that fear was very real, " said Mike Clancy, one of the organizers of an Asean business and investment forum on the sidelines of the political events.

After the last-minute cancellation, nations rushed in planes to transport their top officials away. For everyone else, chaos was the order of the day.

Aside from the leaking roof and porous windows, large bouquets of congratulatory flowers lay toppled by the wind into puddles of water as workers covered a lone X-ray security machine with cardboard and plastic bags to keep the water out.

Hotels were besieged by frustrated media companies looking for some kind of refund.

For the locals, there was a sense that the opportunity to present their island's best face to the international community had been lost.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena, talking to AFP, said he doubts whether the summit could be rescheduled as soon as next month. " Foreign leaders plan well in advance. I don't think you will get them all together again, not in three or four weeks. " - AFP, Greg Rubio