Mayors defend Garcia against Tomas' threat

Cebu - Two mayors have defended Governor Gwendolyn Garcia from the threat of Mayor Tomas Osmeña to ban her in the next Sinulog.

Dumanjug Mayor Cesar Baricuatro, also the president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Cebu Province Chapter, warned that the other mayors may also boycott next year’s Sinulog if Osmeña would make good his threat to ban Garcia from the festivities.

Baricuatro said in a radio interview that Osmena’s actuation of dragging the governor’s name into the controversy at the Cebu City Sports Center during the Sinulog Grand Parade was improper.

Osmeña earlier linked Garcia to the tussle between security personnel at the sports center and Jonah John Rodriguez, the personal secretary of former mayor Alvin Garcia who was escorted out of the VIP section of the grand stand for using Alvin’s identification card.

The mayor concluded that Rodriguez was with the governor’s party and accused the Garcias of “trying to push their weight around.”

Liloan Mayor Duke Frasco also backed Garcia, saying banning her from the Sinulog is tantamount to banning the entire province of Cebu.

“The celebration is as much as Cebu City’s as it is the entire Island of Cebu. Restricting the governor of Cebu would also the same as restricting the entire Province of Cebu,” Frasco said.

Garcia’s brother, Rep. Pablo John Garcia, also argued that Osmeña cannot just ban the Governor because he does not own the festival.

“He should stop using the Sinulog, and worse, the Santo Niño, for his petty political vendettas. Because even without this boycott, people will just shy away (from the Sinulog). He cheapens the event that Cebuanos hold dear,” Pablo John said. — Garry B. Lao/JMO (THE FREEMAN)