Davide expects losing LP allies

CEBU Gov. Hilario Davide may soon lose some of his Liberal Party (LP) partymates, as some of them will join the administration party, PDP Laban, of newly-elected president Rodrigo Duterte.

“Im not discounting that possibility, very very possible,” said Davide, believing that his partymates have their own agenda for the development of their respective towns.

But Davide will remain with the Liberal Party as he does not believe in the idea of switching parties to gain favors from the national leadership.

“Ug magpabilin ang among alliance (Our alliance will remain),” said Davide with his partymates who will shift parties.

He also believe that the national leadership of Liberal Party will understand.

“Sympathetic man pud na si President Duterte sa mga Cebuanos kay Bisaya man (President Duterte is sympathetic to the Cebuanos because he is Bisaya),” he said.

He said it is a political reality that politicians usually shift to the party in power.

So far, no partymate asked Davide’s permission to leave the party.

Shift

A town mayor, who requested anonymity, confirmed that not one among them had asked Davide’s permission.

He said it will be the congressmen who will be the first to leave since there is a need to polarize in the House of Representative to determine who will be the next House Speaker. There are four out of nine district representatives in Cebu.

Davide accepted the resignation of Provincial En- vironment and Natural Resource Office (Penro) Chief Chad Estella, while retaining his provincial administrator Mark Tolentino.

“Tolentino remains, he will stay as provincial administrator of this administration,” the governor said.

Editorial Sun.Star Superbalita yesterday asked the question in its editorial: “Tolentino tangtangon ni Davide (Will Davide replace Tolentino)?”

The editorial referred to Tolentino, Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairman, as the one who recommended the purchase of P250 million worth of heavy equipment from a particular supplier.

The P200 million will be borrowed from Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), while the P50 million will be sourced from the provincial coffer.

The editorial also said that Tolentino’s group already received an “advance,” referring to commission in cash, from the winning supplier.

The fate of the P250million worth of equipment remains undetermined yesterday.

“I wrote to Land Bank asking them to extend, nilapse man gud ang period within which to avail ourselves of that (loan) facility because of the issues raised,” Davide told reporters.

Also the P50-million counterpart from Capitol funds for the heavy equipment is sourced from the 2015 budget, since the governor will clear this up with his finance officers and the Provincial Board who approved the funding in 2015.