Gwen respects Val’s decision to resign

CEBU, Philippines — After having received City of Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong’s resignation letter, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said she respects the decision.

But the remark came with praise. Chiong, the governor said, is a “hardworking” public servant as evidenced by the growth of Naga under his administration.

“Under his stewardship, Naga has grown by leaps and bounds. And so, we must thank him for all that he has done for the City of Naga. For his effective  performance worthy of emulation by other local chief executives,” she said.

Garcia specifically cited the transition of Naga from being a municipality to upgrading into a constituent city of Cebu back in 2007.

In her first term as governor then, Garcia said she had to work closely with Chiong during the arduous transition period in which Naga underwent going back and forth from municipality to city status.

“Para nako, he is such a hardworking and effective public servant and he was always at the forefront in the… transition between the municipality of Naga to the cityhood of Naga. He went through the difficulty of the flip-flopping decisions at the time,” she said.

Garcia and Chiong are known political allies. The mayor is a member of the Alang sa Kalambuan ug Kalinaw (Alayon) Party, an internal ally of Garcia’s One Cebu (1-Cebu) in the first district.

At the same time, the governor said that she is assured that the mayor’s daughter, Vice Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong, would be able to fulfill her upcoming responsibilities as mayor well.

Garcia noted that Kristine was the mayor of Naga when the 2018 Naga landslide took place and commented that she handled the crisis situation well.

Val Chiong was his daughter’s vice mayor then.

To recall, Chiong sent in his letter of resignation to the governor last Monday, February 24, citing personal reasons.

“This has never been an easy decision to make as I have been entrusted by my constituents to lead this City but some personal reasons have prompted me to do so,” the letter read.

News of this decision broke only yesterday, February 26.

“Kapoy na sad, maayo nalang nang mayor sa mga batan-on,” Chiong told The Freeman over the phone.

A few months before his resignation, Chiong was put on a 90-day preventive suspension that took effect in the first week of September.

This was for a pending graft charge against him for an alleged issuance of a mayor’s permit for the operation of Petronas Energy Philippines Inc.

Petronas allegedly lacked the pre-requisite Fire Safety Inspection Certificate from the Bureau of Fire Protection.  JMD (FREEMAN)