Letter to the Editor: Tomas and the President's airspace

Dear Editor,

The plane crash causing the untimely demise of DILG Sec. Jesse Robrero rocked the nation. And this highly covered news story became a tool for some politicians to flung themselves into the limelight. True opportunists won't let the publicity generated by disasters like this go to waste.

One could hardly blame the Presidential Security Group (PSG) from shooing away Cong. Tomas Osmeña and his plane crew from the Masbate tarmac pending the arrival of the President himself during the recovery operations of DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo. The PSG's primary function is to secure the President at all times and to follow all and any protocol. Being the most important person in the land, PNoy is granted the privilege of a sacred airspace, which is off-limits to anyone without approval.

Congressman Osmeña on another hand, fueled by maybe his concern for his close ally in the administration (who would now champion his flyover causes?), took it upon himself to hire a private plane and flew to where the recovery mission is taking place not considering the fact that his arrival was unknown to the President's bodyguards.

Aside from committing a violation on trespassing the President's airspace, Osmeña committed a crime against his constituents from the South District of Cebu City by making a joke of himself on national media. He should have kept the embarrassing situation under wraps. Yet, in true Osmeña fashion, the Representative boasted of his execution of a politician's ego to the nation.

Perhaps he expected the sympathy of a nation on his heroic act thwarted by mere bodyguards when he is a member of Congress. But sadly for him, the reality is that the nation and reportedly the higher-ups in Malacañang reacted opposite to his expectations. What could he do anyway that the different teams of the recovery mission has not done or thought of doing already?

The best that he could have done is to show up where he is more needed --- at the Cebu City 2nd District where fires are but common occurrence, illegal dwellers still dotting every un-fenced patch of land, malnourished children by the thousands, a dengue epidemic threatening the people every now and then, the failure of the delivery of basic needs and more crimes than you could keep up with. This is where Cong. Osmeña is more needed to do the job he was elected to do.

Sincerely,

Arnold C. Tugunon

J. Panis St., Banilad, Cebu City