Garcia, de los Santos twit Young over his statement on Lahug school

CEBU, Philippines - Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Lahug barangay captain Mary Ann de los Santos yesterday openly criticized City Hall consultant on education Augustus “Joy” Young over the latter’s remarks regarding the Lahug Elementary School.

A close ally of Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Young earlier defended the mayor on the statement made by De los Santos that the present city administration has done nothing for education, particularly for the school children in Lahug.

Last Wednesday, a four-classroom building in Lahug Elementary School, which had became the subject of the quarrel between de los Santos and Osmeña, was inaugurated after it was finished through the funds raised from the “Piso Mo, Eskwelahan Mo” and the P6.3 million donation from Garcia.

The construction of the school building, which was first funded by the city, was ordered stopped by the mayor after he got irked by de los Santos statement claiming he had done nothing for Lahug.

Young said that unlike Garcia, the mayor implements projects without so much noise and fanfare and argued that de los Santos was but looking at the controversial school building and failed to consider the other school building behind it as well as the electricity and salary of the teachers that were all funded by the City Hall.

But yesterday, during the distribution of the titles at the Lahug Sports Complex, de los Santos said the school building has not yet finished.

“What happened to their school building? Nahuman na ba? Pero siguradong humanon na kay hapit naman pud ang eleksyon,” de los Santos said.

The barangay chief criticized Young calling him “arrogant person” when he reiterated that the governor was portraying herself as hero when she pledged the amount for the construction of the school building in Lahug.

For her part, Garcia said the city hall consultant should do his homework.

The governor told the over 100 residents of Lahug who flock to the barangay complex that the Capitol has inaugurated 440 classrooms in the province and targeting to construct over 600 classrooms before the year ends. — Garry B. Lao/WAB (THE FREEMAN)