INQUIRER Global Nation

CEBU CITY, Philippines - Dressed in black tight-fitting blouse and pants, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia called for a press conference in her Capitol office at noon yesterday to respond to media reports on the FLI proposal.

Garcia said that it was unlikely for Cebu City mayor-on-leave Tomas Osmeña to refer to her as “Tandang Zorra” when at 53-years-old, she remains to be physically fit and young looking.

The governor showed off her small waste line, which she said is something that other politicians do not have.

She also referred to Osmeña as someone who was once a “spring chicken” who has already aged.

“A spring chicken is a figure of speech, which refers to one’s “youth.’ Someone who is referred to as “no spring chicken” is someone who fails to act his age. “This Tandang Zorra would like to ask the chicken (Osmeña) what is the real deal in the Filinvest deal.”

While she spoke, the governor suddenly walked into an adjoining room, which she uses as resting area. When she emerged two minutes later, she was now wearing a black cape and cowboy hat and was holding a figurine of a rooster.

“Come on chicken, let's play chicken... Come on chicken, are you chicken... taktaktaktak,” Garcia teasingly said referring to her observations that Mayor Osmeña and other city officials seemed to be in a panic because of the provincial government's interest on SRP.

She again entered her adjoining room and had a white feather in hand when she emerged. She used the feather to rob chicken's body as if teasing it and posing for the camera.

When Garcia entered her adjoining room for the third time, she took off her props before she returned to her office table to again address media queries.

Garcia said FLI's offer to buy 10-hectares of the SRP lot should have been made an offer separate from the proposed joint venture agreement to also development at least 40 more hectares.

She said the provincial government was interested to participate in bidding for an outright purchase and in a Swiss challenge for the proposed joint venture.

The governor said that the Swiss challenge should already be referred to as the “Tandang Zorra” challenge./Reporter Doris Bongcac