Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña questioned Mayor Nestor Archival’s handling of the West Philippine Sea issue after the Chinese Consulate General in Cebu protested the city’s declaration of July 12 as “West Philippine Sea Victory Day.”
Osmeña made the remarks following Archival’s absence from the City Hall commemoration marking the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral ruling that favored the Philippines.
In an interview on Monday, July 13, Osmeña said he supported the City Council’s resolution recognizing the occasion but criticized the mayor for not publicly identifying himself with the event.
“I’m very proud of the City Council. Unfortunately, our mayor is playing it safe. Doesn’t like to be here. Doesn’t like to be identified. I’m not that kind. I take a stand,”
“We have
to protect our own, and we have to be very careful that opportunities are not exploited to take advantage of our tolerance. So I’m not tolerating anything,”
Archival defended his absence, saying he was in Manila attending meetings related to programs and funding opportunities for Cebu City.
He said he met with officials of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines to strengthen youth development partnerships and held discussions with Department of Budget and Management Secretary Kim de Leon regarding the city’s request for the Local Government Support Fund.
“While I was in Manila today, I attended two important meetings that are directly connected to programs and opportunities for Cebu City,”
“I also had a productive meeting with DBM Secretary Kim de Leon to follow up on our request for the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), which will help finance priority infrastructure projects and bring lasting benefits to the people of Cebu City,”
Archival said public service should not be measured solely by attendance at a single event.
“Public service is not measured by being present in one event alone, but by ensuring that every opportunity to secure programs, partnerships, and resources for our city is pursued,”
“My commitment remains the same: to work tirelessly and always put the interests of Cebu City first,”
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