Mayor sides with Kris Janson: Tom calls Burden "Miss Cellphone"

CEBU, Philippines - The Burden family deferred further action on the Miss Cebu controversy until after Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena gets back from the United States, banking on his favorable involvement on the matter.

They were in for a big disappointment.

Instead of taking their side, Osmena promised to give an award to Miss Cebu Kris Tiffany Janson for keeping her cool on the issue, thereby exhibiting “conduct becoming” of a true Miss Cebu.

As to Kimberley Therese Burden, who resigned her 2nd runnerup position in the wake of the January 14 controversy, in which the “Texters Choice” she won was mistakenly awarded to Janson, Osmena had this to say: She is just “Miss Cellphone.”

“I want to award her (Janson), her family included, for the silence they demonstrated when they could also make their own noise. It’s really a conduct becoming of a real Miss Cebu. The other one is just Miss Cellphone,” Osmeña said.

Asked if the Burden family, which went ballistic over the controversy, approached him for help in resolving the issues raised, the mayor quickly said he was not interested.

“It’s a waste of time. It’s the worst overexposed ridiculous issue I’ve seen in all my years as mayor,” Osmeña said.

He even went so far as to say the act by the Cebu City Tourism Commission of apologizing to the Burdens was wrong.

“They could express regret, but not an apology, as it would mean they did something wrong. It was an unforeseen incident. Who would have expected that some asshole would commit that mistake,” Osmeña said.

The issue on command responsibility, he said, does not apply so the clamor by the Burdens for a revamp at the CCTC and the resignation of pageant organizer Philip Rodriguez is very unnecessary.

He said command responsibility is warranted when mistakes happen successively.

“If it happened three times then let the vice mayor resign. Four times then let the mayor resign. Five times, then let the president of the Philippines resign. I told Mike (Vice Mayor Michael Rama): Do not touch anything. If you don’t know what to say tell them I said so,” Osmeña said.

Dr. Rowena Burden, the mother of Kimberley and who led the charge against those she accused of being involved in the fiasco, said her family is very shocked and disappointed by the pronouncement of the newly-returned mayor.

“We did not expect a hundred percent settlement, but we did not expect that he could be this insensitive and tactless, displaying a conduct unbecoming of a mayor,” Dr. Burden said.

She blasted the mayor for having “a distorted sense of right and wrong” for not siding with the aggrieved party.

“He went so far as bugal bugalan niya si (to mock) Kim. We are being punished for complaining.

She said she will consult her lawyer for any legal action her family may take as a result of the latest development.

Rama said the mayor has already spoken and that was that. He and the CCTC already made a previous stand on the matter, which was to apologize.

A three-man fact finding committee composed of then acting Vice Mayor Hilario Davide Jr., faulted the CCTC and marketing consultant Bruce Bollozos for lack of reasonable foresight constituting negligence and dereliction of duty. (/JST) (THE FREEMAN)