“Never Again…”: One Cebu supporters behind CICC banner?

CEBU, Philippines – Gubernatorial bet Winston Garcia of the One Cebu Party believes that his supporters in Mandaue City were responsible for mounting the “NEVER AGAIN…” banner at the Cebu International Convention Center.

The article published in The FREEMAN yesterday regarding the controversial banner drew speculations from the readers that the message was a black propaganda aimed against the Garcias.

The construction of the CICC was tainted with alleged corruption. It was built during the administration of Winston’s sister, former governor and now third district Representative Gwen Garcia.

Winston, in a phone interview, said he has a lot of supporters in Mandaue City who could no longer tolerate the “poor” performance of the administration of Governor Hilario Davide III, who is seeking reelection next year.

Winston has since criticized the current administration for not doing so much and always saying yes to the national government, which has been vehemently belied by Davide.

“Never again nga mo-tolerate sa Gobernador nga way nabuhat. Never again nga padiktahan ta sa national. Never again nga di na ma-numero uno ang Cebu. I am thankful sa akong mga supporters kung sila man gane nagbutang anang banner,” Winston said.

But if the banner was meant to attack the Garcias, Winston said he expected it to happen because his enemies cannot do anything else but to take his surname against him.

“Okay ra nga naa na aron makita sa mga tawo unsa sila ka bangkarote. Mamersonal na lang kay wa may ikapakita nga mga concrete programs,” he said.

After all, Winston added that his candidacy will not rely on the prominence of his surname but on the programs and projects he plans for the province.

The CICC was constructed during the previous administration for the 2007 Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit at over P800 million in public funds.

 The facility has been standing idle after it suffered severe damage when the magnitude 7.2 earthquake rocked Bohol and Cebu in October and super typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.

Davide’s administration refused to spend “even a single centavo” for the repair because the province was reportedly not earning from the facility’s operations apart from being the subject of the pending graft case before the Ombudsman. —/FPL (FREEMAN)