Davide favors Garcia over Rama on CBRT spat

CEBU, Philippines — Despite belonging to a different political party, Cebu Vice Gov. Hilario Davide, III yesterday expressed support for Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on her stand to stop the civil works of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) along Osmeña Blvd. fronting the Cebu Capitol building.

He joined Provincial Board colleagues who called for the protection of the Capitol building and the Fuente Osmeña rotunda vista corridor, the provincial government building being a national landmark.

“The Capitol is not only the seat of the Provincial Government of Cebu but a veritable link to our past, heritage, and culture and a source of inspiration and pride with its architectural brilliance. Its uniqueness and magnificence give Cebu an exclusive identity with other places" Davide said.

Garcia had called for CBRT civil works for a bus station at the front area of the Capitol because of heritage concern, issuing a cease and desist order to the project’s proponents.

Because of the said order, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama filed an administrative case against Garcia before the Office of the President.

“Protecting and preserving this historical landmark is a duty and responsibility that Gov. Gwen has sworn to fulfill. I am, thus, confident the Office of the President will sustain her position" Davide said, in showing his support for the governor.

Interestingly, Davide and Rama were allies when both were part of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan, which dominated the Cebu City Council when Davide was a city councilor. Davide resigned during his second term in 2009 and lost to Garcia for the position of Cebu governor in the 2010 elections.

He bounced back in the 2010 elections against Garcia’s brother, 3rd district Rep. Pablo John Garcia, and served two terms as governor before winning as vice governor in the 2019 and 2022 elections.

"I got your back, gov," Davide said yesterday.

When Rama filed his complaint last week, Cebu officials expressed support for

Gov. Garcia, including congressmen, League of Municipalities (LMP)-Cebu members, as well as the vice mayors of Cebu.

"(W)e…express our solid support for Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia in representation of the Province of Cebu's standing on the matter concerning the full stoppage of Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) Project and earnestly call for the outright dismissal of the complaint filed against her with the Office of the President," read the LMP-Cebu manifesto of support.

The group also alleged at the CBRT lacked full public consultation in its implementation and called it “patently anti-poor by negligently failing to consider the pulse of the poor in their quest for the most affordable and convenient public mass transport.”

“(We are) one with our people and with our other colleagues in public service in achieving the most desired actions for any public undertaking which will truly and resoundingly address the various concerns of our constituents, leading to a well-managed resources and for realization of welfare initiatives that will effectively redound to the benefit of our people," it further said.

The manifesto was signed by 44 Cebu municipal mayors.

Meanwhile, Rama has refused to comment on any of the statement of support extended to Gov. Garcia, saying she should just answer the complaint filed against her.

“Dili na ko mobalik pa, kay nangiha na ra ba ko…. If naa ning ubang grupo, I don’t want to comment…. Kaila ko tanan nila, kaila ko. I don’t want to comment,” he said during his online platform Sugboanon Channel yesterday, or upon his return from his official trip to Taiwan last week.

“(Instead), let them answer my case,” he further said.

Rama said that while waiting for the Office of the President’s decision, he tasked his son Atty. Mikel Rama to seriously focus on how to make Cebu City vote for the governor post again.

“That right belongs to the Cebu City constituents to vote for the governor of the Cebu Province,” Mayor Rama said.

“We were unceremoniously, disenfranchised…there never was a plebiscite neither a referendum (to exclude Cebu City),” Mayor Rama said.— (FREEMAN)