Tomas Osmeña
Encyclopedia
Tomas "Tommy" de la Rama Osmeña (born July 26, 1948) is a Filipino
politician
currently serving as Congressman
for the second district of Cebu City
. Prior to his congressional term, he has also served as mayor
of Cebu City
from 1988 to 1995 and from 2001 to 2010.
and the younger sibling of Senator Sergio Osmeña III. Married to Margarita "Margot" Lim Vargas, they have a son by the name of Miguel.
He spent his high school years in Sacred Heart School for Boys and allegedly earned his degree of Bachelor of Science in Agro-Economics from Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro City
.
-based company, SEROS, Inc. He also became a financial analyst for Foreign Credit Insurance Association, the exclusive operating arm of the Export-Import Bank of United States wherein he was engaged in the political and economic play of the export credit accounts of a number of major US banks and exporters across 12 western states.
For years, he also served as the Vice-President of the Apex Realty and Developers in California
. He was selected Vice-President of the "Club Filipino" in Los Angeles
, California
.
in the year 1988, he vied for the mayoralty and won election without the backing of a party or endorsement by a national office.
In his first term, he became chairman of the Metro Cebu Development Project (MCDP). He acquired over P2 billion worth of foreign assisted projects for Metro Cebu
.
In 1990, he was elected as the National Executive Vice-President of the League of City Mayors of the Philippines. On that same year, he was chosen as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in the Philippines
by the Philippine Jaycees and the Gerry Roxas Foundation, Inc.
In the 1992 elections
, he again won together with his Vice-Mayoralty candidate and fifteen of his sixteen party mates for the council seats. He was also elected President
of the League of City Mayors of the Philippines to serve until the year 1995. He also accepted the position of being the Chairman of the Regional Development Council for Central Visayas
.
Among his other projects is the South Reclamation Project. He also won several Galing Pook Awards.
, including the spate of vigilante-style executions in Cebu City
, have alarmed officials of the Commission on Human Rights.
The CHR said the unsolved summary executions in the country might affect the membership of the Philippines
in the United Nations Human Rights Council
.
After he expressed his concern on the increasing crime rate of Cebu City
, he told the local media that he's willing to give rewards to persons who can kill criminals.
The series of vigilante–style killings started on December 22, 2004 and the victims are mainly those people who have criminal records.
The vigilantes are usually masked, ride a motorcycle in tandem, and use a gun to kill their targets
Since that day, at least 176 people have been killed vigilante
style, mostly by men on motorcycles, armed with .45 pistols
and with their faces covered.
Cebu City
Police
Office’s Chief Melvin Gayotin reported a reduction in crime by 22 percent.
But Cebu City
Vice Mayor Michael Rama said the City Government
shoulders P50 million in wages for casual employees detailed with CCPO and donated equipment yet the police failed to solve the summary killings.
The vice mayor was not happy with the report because even if the crime rate decreased, vigilante killings still continued.
Mayor Eduardo Gullas
a landgrabber for staking a claim over 53.44 hectares of the South Reclamation Project (SRP).
Talisay City Attorney Aurora Econg earlier vowed that they will question any special patents or title that will be issued to Cebu City
.
SRP Manager Nigel Paul Villarete
, in an interview, dismissed Econg's claims that Talisay City is not claiming ownership, only jurisdiction.
Osmeña insisted that they are indeed after the ownership of the 53.44 hectare portion of the SRP.
The Cebu City
Government is expected to pay 288,389,482 million yen or P150.28 million, a portion of the interest, to the Land Bank of the Philippines
(LBP), conduit for the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).
The Cebu City
Hall accounting records show the SRP loan has ballooned from the original P2.2 billion in 1996 to P4.33 billion in 2005.
Osmeña said that Cebu City
has to forego the plan buying heavy equipments to develop roads in upland barangay
s, as it has to use the general funds for loan payments.
Unless Cebu City
acquires special patents or titles for the SRP this year–and, after doing so, markets the reclaimed area to investors — it will continue tapping its general funds until year 2025 to pay for the loan.
Cebu City
needs to raise funds in foreign currency by leasing the properties to investors. That way, if there are drastic changes in the foreign exchange rate, it will have enough to pay the loan.
Cebu City
officials blamed difficulties in getting titles and delays in marketing the 295 hectare SRP on the Talisay City Government, which is disputing Cebu City's
application for the titling of the said reclaimed land.
Government, under the administration of Osmeña, filed a case against Talisay City on August 2004 for alleged irregularities in its becoming a chartered city, set the scenario for disputes on the South Reclamation Project (SRP). Osmeña & Wawa investigated demographics and land area which were used as basis for Talisay’s
cityhood.
The municipality first applied for cityhood in 1998 and was granted a charter
in 2002. Talisay City counsel Aurora Econg testified possessing supporting documents showing that Talisay’s
cityhood is legal and official.
But with his move to keep the SRP, such documents were contested in the court.
Jurisdiction issues have since besieged the SRP when Talisay City claimed a 53.44-hectare portion of the project, claiming that it has encroached on the reclaimed land.
Talisay City, however, made the claim after the SRP was completed and ready for sale to investors.
Talisay City wants the portion back, but Cebu City
will not budge and Osmeña has severed sister-city ties with Talisay City if only to keep the entire SRP intact.
Cebu City's plan to file a suit against Talisay on its alleged "sham cityhood" came as surveyors discovered that a municipal boundary monument — MBM 30 — said to belong to Talisay City, was right inside the SRP.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources
, which conducted the survey, said MBM 30 is located before km. 10 of the SRP just after the second bridge as one approaches Cebu City
from Talisay
.
But on May 10, 2006, the Philippine Court of Appeals has dismissed Osmeña’s petition to nullify the cityhood of Talisay
. The court pointed out that the "belated action" raises questions as to its motive.
The 17-page decision penned by Associate Justice Apolinario D. Bruselas Jr. of the court’s 18th Division, declared that Republic Act 8979, the law creating Talisay City, "does not suffer from any constitutional or statutory infirmities".
and 2 months rest. He was treated for his aneurysm
in 2002 at the Boston
, Massachusetts General Hospital
. On May, 2007, he underwent a minor operation due to swollen thigh
because of punctures for an angiogram
.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
currently serving as Congressman
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
for the second district of Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
. Prior to his congressional term, he has also served as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
from 1988 to 1995 and from 2001 to 2010.
Early life
Tomas is the son of the late Senator Sergio Osmeña, Jr. and Lourdes dela Rama Osmeña, the grandson of former Philippine President Sergio Osmeña Sr.Sergio Osmena Sr.
Sergio Veloso Osmeña, Jr., also known as Serging Osmeña, was former Senator of the Philippines, and was the son of former President Sergio Osmeña.-Early life:...
and the younger sibling of Senator Sergio Osmeña III. Married to Margarita "Margot" Lim Vargas, they have a son by the name of Miguel.
He spent his high school years in Sacred Heart School for Boys and allegedly earned his degree of Bachelor of Science in Agro-Economics from Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...
.
Business career
In 1972, he worked as the Vice-President in a Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based company, SEROS, Inc. He also became a financial analyst for Foreign Credit Insurance Association, the exclusive operating arm of the Export-Import Bank of United States wherein he was engaged in the political and economic play of the export credit accounts of a number of major US banks and exporters across 12 western states.
For years, he also served as the Vice-President of the Apex Realty and Developers in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He was selected Vice-President of the "Club Filipino" in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Mayor
When he came back to CebuCebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
in the year 1988, he vied for the mayoralty and won election without the backing of a party or endorsement by a national office.
In his first term, he became chairman of the Metro Cebu Development Project (MCDP). He acquired over P2 billion worth of foreign assisted projects for Metro Cebu
Metro Cebu
Metro Cebu is the main urban center of the province of Cebu in the Philippines. Metro Cebu is located along the central eastern portion of the island including the nearby island of Mactan...
.
In 1990, he was elected as the National Executive Vice-President of the League of City Mayors of the Philippines. On that same year, he was chosen as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
by the Philippine Jaycees and the Gerry Roxas Foundation, Inc.
In the 1992 elections
Philippine general election, 1992
The senatorial election was held in the Philippines on May 11, 1992. This was the first general election under the 1987 Philippine Constitution. An estimated 80,000 candidates ran for 17,000 posts from the presidency down to municipal councilors...
, he again won together with his Vice-Mayoralty candidate and fifteen of his sixteen party mates for the council seats. He was also elected President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the League of City Mayors of the Philippines to serve until the year 1995. He also accepted the position of being the Chairman of the Regional Development Council for Central Visayas
Central Visayas
Central Visayas, designated as Region VII, is a region of the Philippines located in the central part of the Visayas island group. It consists of four provinces—Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor— and the highly urbanized cities of Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City....
.
Among his other projects is the South Reclamation Project. He also won several Galing Pook Awards.
Vigilante killings
The unsolved killings in the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, including the spate of vigilante-style executions in Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
, have alarmed officials of the Commission on Human Rights.
The CHR said the unsolved summary executions in the country might affect the membership of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in the United Nations Human Rights Council
United Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...
.
After he expressed his concern on the increasing crime rate of Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
, he told the local media that he's willing to give rewards to persons who can kill criminals.
The series of vigilante–style killings started on December 22, 2004 and the victims are mainly those people who have criminal records.
The vigilantes are usually masked, ride a motorcycle in tandem, and use a gun to kill their targets
Since that day, at least 176 people have been killed vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
style, mostly by men on motorcycles, armed with .45 pistols
.45
.45 may refer to:* .45 ACP, a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911* .45-70, a cartridge developed at the U.S...
and with their faces covered.
Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
Police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
Office’s Chief Melvin Gayotin reported a reduction in crime by 22 percent.
But Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
Vice Mayor Michael Rama said the City Government
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
shoulders P50 million in wages for casual employees detailed with CCPO and donated equipment yet the police failed to solve the summary killings.
The vice mayor was not happy with the report because even if the crime rate decreased, vigilante killings still continued.
South Reclamation Project
He had called then Talisay CityTalisay City, Cebu
Talisay City is a 3rd class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 179,359 people....
Mayor Eduardo Gullas
Eduardo Gullas
Eduardo R. Gullas is a Filipino politician. He has been elected to five terms as a Member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, representing the First District of Cebu from 1992 to 2001, and from 2004 to the present. He is currently a member of KAMPI and the One Cebu party...
a landgrabber for staking a claim over 53.44 hectares of the South Reclamation Project (SRP).
Talisay City Attorney Aurora Econg earlier vowed that they will question any special patents or title that will be issued to Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
.
SRP Manager Nigel Paul Villarete
Nigel Paul Villarete
Nigel Paul C. Villarete is a Filipino civil engineer and urban planner. He is currently the General Manager of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport , located in Mactan Island, Lapu-lapu City, Cebu, Philippines, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority...
, in an interview, dismissed Econg's claims that Talisay City is not claiming ownership, only jurisdiction.
Osmeña insisted that they are indeed after the ownership of the 53.44 hectare portion of the SRP.
The Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
Government is expected to pay 288,389,482 million yen or P150.28 million, a portion of the interest, to the Land Bank of the Philippines
Land Bank of the Philippines
Land Bank of the Philippines , also known as LANDBANK or by its initials, LBP, is a bank in the Philippines owned by the Philippine government with a special focus on serving the needs of farmers and fishermen...
(LBP), conduit for the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).
The Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
Hall accounting records show the SRP loan has ballooned from the original P2.2 billion in 1996 to P4.33 billion in 2005.
Osmeña said that Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
has to forego the plan buying heavy equipments to develop roads in upland barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s, as it has to use the general funds for loan payments.
Unless Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
acquires special patents or titles for the SRP this year–and, after doing so, markets the reclaimed area to investors — it will continue tapping its general funds until year 2025 to pay for the loan.
Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
needs to raise funds in foreign currency by leasing the properties to investors. That way, if there are drastic changes in the foreign exchange rate, it will have enough to pay the loan.
Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
officials blamed difficulties in getting titles and delays in marketing the 295 hectare SRP on the Talisay City Government, which is disputing Cebu City's
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
application for the titling of the said reclaimed land.
Talisay cityhood
The Cebu CityCebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
Government, under the administration of Osmeña, filed a case against Talisay City on August 2004 for alleged irregularities in its becoming a chartered city, set the scenario for disputes on the South Reclamation Project (SRP). Osmeña & Wawa investigated demographics and land area which were used as basis for Talisay’s
Talisay City, Cebu
Talisay City is a 3rd class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 179,359 people....
cityhood.
The municipality first applied for cityhood in 1998 and was granted a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
in 2002. Talisay City counsel Aurora Econg testified possessing supporting documents showing that Talisay’s
Talisay City, Cebu
Talisay City is a 3rd class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 179,359 people....
cityhood is legal and official.
But with his move to keep the SRP, such documents were contested in the court.
Jurisdiction issues have since besieged the SRP when Talisay City claimed a 53.44-hectare portion of the project, claiming that it has encroached on the reclaimed land.
Talisay City, however, made the claim after the SRP was completed and ready for sale to investors.
Talisay City wants the portion back, but Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
will not budge and Osmeña has severed sister-city ties with Talisay City if only to keep the entire SRP intact.
Cebu City's plan to file a suit against Talisay on its alleged "sham cityhood" came as surveyors discovered that a municipal boundary monument — MBM 30 — said to belong to Talisay City, was right inside the SRP.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Philippines)
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for governing and supervising the exploration, development, utilization, and conservation of the country's natural resources.-History:The Department of Environment and Natural...
, which conducted the survey, said MBM 30 is located before km. 10 of the SRP just after the second bridge as one approaches Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
from Talisay
Talisay City, Cebu
Talisay City is a 3rd class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 179,359 people....
.
But on May 10, 2006, the Philippine Court of Appeals has dismissed Osmeña’s petition to nullify the cityhood of Talisay
Talisay City, Cebu
Talisay City is a 3rd class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 179,359 people....
. The court pointed out that the "belated action" raises questions as to its motive.
The 17-page decision penned by Associate Justice Apolinario D. Bruselas Jr. of the court’s 18th Division, declared that Republic Act 8979, the law creating Talisay City, "does not suffer from any constitutional or statutory infirmities".
Health
In March 2002, Osmena collapsed due to hypertensive crisis which caused surgerySurgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
and 2 months rest. He was treated for his aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
in 2002 at the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
. On May, 2007, he underwent a minor operation due to swollen thigh
Thigh
In humans the thigh is the area between the pelvis and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.The single bone in the thigh is called the femur...
because of punctures for an angiogram
Angiogram
Angiography or arteriography is a medical imaging technique used to visualize the inside, or lumen, of blood vessels and organs of the body, with particular interest in the arteries, veins and the heart chambers...
.