Davide: “Balili property” and “CICC” not forgotten

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said he especially mentioned in his first Report to the People on Monday the two controversial projects of the previous administration as he wanted the people to remember these “irregularities.”

“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 told reporters.

Davide, in his speech equivalent to the State of the Province Address, touched the controversial Cebu International Convention Center as he assured the public that the Capitol, under his leadership, will not spend a single centavo for the repair of the destroyed building.

CICC was built during the time of former Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for the 2007 Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit costing the province over P800 million in public funds.

With reports that the project was overpriced, the Office of the Ombudsman launched a formal investigation on Garcia and six other Capitol officials for alleged violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

CICC has now become useless after it was damaged by typhoon and earthquake last year.

Davide has already opened the building for possible private-public partnership or sell it to any willing buyer if it does not affect the pending case.

The governor also did not miss the Balili property purchase, which earned Garcia a case at the Sandiganbayan.

In 2009, the province, under Garcia’s time, bought the 25-hectare property of the Balili family in Barangay Tinaan, Naga City. It 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 slapped with complaints for alleged graft and corruption.

Davide said he is “hopeful” that within this year, the hearing of Garcia’s case in the Sandiganbayan will kick off.

Garcia’s camp has reportedly questioned the validity of the information of the case, but Davide said that once this issue is resolved, he hopes that the Sandiganbayan will set the trial in motion. — (FREEMAN)