Celso: ‘I did not bare plans to take over St. Francis’
Mayor Celso Lobregat over the weekend sought to rectify reports about alleged plans of the city government to take over an orphanage center in Pasonanca, lamenting that misinformation is causing the hullabaloo.
The issue cropped up when a local newspaper headlined “Lobregat bares plans to take over St. Francis,” apparently quoting Fr. Arthur Winikoff, caretaker of St. Francis Center in Pasonanca, who was interviewed over a local radio station.
“I was not interviewed, nobody interviewed me and then ya sale na headline “Lobregat bares plans to take over St. Francis.” That news never came from me, I never bared any plan to take over St. Francis.” the mayor said in a press conference Friday when a news reporter asked him the question.
He said: “I was never interviewed so how can you claim I bared plans to take over St. Francis? We never had any plan to take over the facility.”
Misinformation apparently has caused over reaction from some sectors. Some children-clients of the St. Francis, accordingly, trooped to the City Council last January 28 bringing along placards calling on the mayor to defer the planned take over.
Lobregat lamented that the incorrect report has elicited numerous reactions and that his side of the story was never taken into consideration.
“I am glad you finally asked me that question. I did not bare plans to take over St. Francis,” the mayor repeated.
He emphasized though that the contract for the operation of the St. Francis Orphanage center in Pasonanca has to be reviewed stressing that there are legitimate questions that need to be answered.
Lobregat said when the City Council several years ago approved a resolution concerning the operation of the facility, it was emphasized that it was with the blessings of the Archdiocese, then under (the late) Archbishop Francisco Cruces.
“That is why there are certain things to be asked, is that orphanage operating with the blessings of the archbishop? Is that orphanage under the auspices of the archdiocese since they are saying it is with the blessing of the archbishop? I said the contract has to be reviewed,” the mayor continued.
Other questions that need to be answered, according to the mayor, are the signatories in the contract and the time frame or effectivity of the same.
“It is between the city government and a certain person named Fr. Arthur Winikoff, and so does the church, since he is a priest, is it under the archdiocese? It seems there is no time frame and it is with a certain person, assuming I have a contract with (City Administrator) Jun Orendain, what happens if Jun Orendain disappears? What happens if Jun Orendain can no longer be found? See these are legitimate questions that we need to ask,” the mayor emphasized.
He added in jest: “so it is not ‘Lobregat bares plans to take over St. Francis’ but ‘Lobregat bares no plans to take over St. Francis’.” (Sheila Covarrubias)