[] Even as Tomas, on the Monterrazas controversy, warns on City Hall playing 'Russian roulette' with city residents' lives while Nestor rejects his vice mayor's facts and call for shutdown.
CEBU City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. to issue a cease-and-desist order against Monterrazas de Cebu: stop all development activities until all its water catchment facilities are fully operational. Osmeña uses the metaphor or simile about "playing Russian roulette" with the lives of city residents. The VM asks the City Council to prod the mayor.
The City Council demurs, says let's get all the facts first.
Mayor Archival rejects his vice mayor's call, saying a stop order will have no basis as developers already installed 24 detention ponds that can hold over flood waters, even exceeding the city-required capacity. The mayor said he will decide on the basis of facts, suggesting that his vice mayor did not have the data or was ignoring them.
Clearly, Archival and Osmeña are at odds on the City Government policy regarding Monterrazas, which were blamed for deaths and destroyed properties in recent city floods, accusations that have not been proved in court.
MOST RECENT ERUPTION. Public statements of VM Tomas -- spoken on record in the City Council -- assailing the mayor's policy on Monterrazas and demanding for immediate action against it swirl around a major issue, highlighting this week the most recent of clashes between the city's two top officials.
HARSH, BITING LANGUAGE. Since the two assumed City Hall's highest seats of power on June 30, 2025, noise has been loud in their conflict over the Carbon Market development. And words sting over the appointment of the city administrator, Engr. Albert Tan, whom VM Tomas called incompetent ("banga").
In fairness, the harsh, biting words came mostly, if not totally, from the vice mayor, reputed for his sharp and biting comments. In comparison, Mayor Archival has been restrained, couching his rejection of VM Tomas's demand for shutdown of Monterrazas with a caution: Let's decide on the basis of facts.
On Monterraza's potential threat, Tomas virtually tosses into Nestor's hands the lives of those who'd be lost in case another calamity would strike the Guadalupe area. Such metaphors or similes as "Russian roulette" and "not 18% dead" (the floods kill totally, 100%).
On the city administrator issue, the VM didn't skirt by calling the choice dumb, he went directly for the jugular: the person chosen is, ah, "banga" (Cebuano-Bisaya for "clumsy, inept, or unable to do something well").
AREN'T THEY TALKING? They must be, Tomas and Nestor, that is.
Images of the two city officials, whenever they appear in the media, show the duo smiling at each other, shaking or holding hands, socializing, like BOPK-mates and sharers of local government power that they are.
Probably they are talking but just cannot agree on how some things must be done. So that when the issue comes out, their views collide and rumble in full sight and sound.
Why don't they talk? Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr. wondered, saying they belong to the same party. When party leaders don't agree among themselves, there's a mechanism for resolving differences: a caucus, a consultation. Mayor Archival and VM Tomas are obviously not using that.
USED TO LEADING, ORDERING. Tomas Osmeña had previously served as Cebu City mayor in two consecutive terms and a separate single term, or a total of 20 years or so (covering the periods of 1987-1995 and 2001-2010, and then 2016-2019).
Not counting his "sitting-out period" (1996-2000), three years as congressman (2010 to 2013) -- and now, starting 2025 up to 2028, another three years as vice mayor.
Except for his stint in the House of Representatives, which he reportedly conceded he didn't enjoy, City Hall had been the situs of power: a place where as mayor he himself led and gave the orders.
And he had been known then -- allegedly -- for not consulting others. He'd get the facts, yes, but only he would decide; news media used to say he'd pick choices and always, or most always, got what he wanted.
SPECULATIONS INCLUDE THIS: The mayor and the vice mayor don't present a unified stand because they had agreed that the mayor would be free to decide and would be "his own man."
During the campaign that autonomy was assured by BOPK, to refute the "propaganda" that Archival would just be "a puppet" of Tomas once they were elected. The "mayor of the night" project, pushed by VM Tomas, revived the talk that Osmeña had an obsession about playing, if not actually being, the mayor.
What could better prove Archival is free to decide on a policy of governance over Osmeña's objection or opposition than the two debating in public?
KONS ALCOVER, ASK NOT why the mayor and vice mayor are not talking to each other. They are, but in public forums where media can watch and listen and report. Archival and Osmeña are like being on the phone, with the speaker on.
DRAWBACKS THOUGH INCLUDE public confusion over policy, delay in implementing measures on public safety ("danger" from Monterrazas), social welfare and public weal (Carbon Market unrest) or City Hall efficiency (in choice of city administrator).
Plus of course, the usual suspect in an administration's failure, if not potential demise: About leaders unable "to get their act together." About the leaders feuding, fighting over the exercise of power and public perception of who's better at being the top honcho.