Davide Wants People to Remember Former Governor’s “Irregularities”

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said that he mentioned in his first state of the province address (SOPA) the two controversial projects of former Gov.

Gwen Garcia so that the people will not forget these “irregularities.”

Davide made his “Report to the People” last Monday at the session hall of the provincial legislative building at the Capitol Compound.

“Just so the public will know nga dili lang to election issue. Until now nga wa ta to kalimti, for the public to remember all irregularities of the previous administration,” Davide said.

Davide, in his SOPA, talked about the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), where he assured the public that the Capitol, under his leadership, will not spend a single centavo for the repair of the destroyed building.

The CICC was built under the administration of Garcia for the 2007 ASEAN Summit costing the province more than P800 million in public funds. With reports that the project was overpriced, the Office of the Ombudsman launched a formal investigation against the former governor along with six Capitol officials for alleged violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The CICC was destroyed by last year’s typhoon and earthquake.

Davide is entertaining options for the said building. He said he may enter into possible private-public partnership or sell it entirely to any willing buyer as long as it does not affect the pending case.

The governor also mentioned the Balili property purchase which earned Garcia a case at the Sandiganbayan.

In 2009, the province bought the 25-hectare property of the Balili family in Barangay Tinaan, City of Naga, Cebu which was later on discovered that the P98.9-million lot was submerged in water.

Garcia, along with the others who was instrumental in the purchase, was charge for alleged graft and corruption before the Sandiganbayan.