VM Garcia: MCWD ‘controversy’ has affected party coalition

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Following the controversy of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) board of directors, Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said that it had affected the alliance of political parties.

The Vice Mayor said that the recent controversy had had an impact on the coalition between Panaghiusa and Partido Barug.

However, he clarified that there had been no changes in the alliance with Kusog.

READ: MCWD board row: Late Mayor Labella’s termination of directors questioned

Panaghiusa-Partido Barug coalition affected

“If this affected the coalition, it has. But the coalition of the Panaghiusa Party and Mayor Mike’s, it has really affected. But all I can say, if we talked about Kusog, [which] I’m the head together with my father, no changes whatsoever,” Garcia said during the press conference on Wednesday, November 8.

Partido Panaghiusa, which was founded by the late politician Nenita Cortes-Daluz, was revived in 2021 and is now run by her son, Lawyer Jose Daluz III, who is the current chairperson of MCWD.

The political party of Daluz was allied with Partido Barug of incumbent Mayor Michael Rama and Kugi Uswag Sugbo, whom Garcia co-founded with his father, former Mayor Alvin Garcia. They have been allies since 2021.

READ: LWUA claims Rama has no authority to remove MCWD directors

VM: Accordance with law

Moreover, Garcia firmly upheld his belief that the process and procedure should be in accordance with the rule of law.

Garcia added that it should be left to the court to decide if there was really a controversy inside the MCWD premise.

“Whether or not, the process is in accordance with the rule of law, that is not for me to decide, that is really a controversy, it should be left to the courts to decide,” Garcia said.

READ: Replacement of Daluz as MCWD chair was ‘legal and valid’

Different laws

Moreover, Garcia mentioned that the two sides, who were involved in the MCWD contention, were banking on different laws.

“The current MCWD directors are banking on the law PD [Presidential Decree] 198 and we also have the other side banking on the local government code particularly the clause that gives the LGU the very wide latitude of whatever the general welfare clause,” Garcia said.

“They are both banking on different laws and it is up to the court to interpret what ang angay na e-apply sa (is the right one that will be applied in the) case,” he added.

Meanwhile, the vice mayor chose not to comment further on the issue.

“I do not want to make a comment on that whatever the rule of law that should be followed,” Garcia said.

READ: LWUA claims Rama has no authority to remove MCWD directors

ABC endorsement

Furthermore, on who he would endorse as ABC president, Garcia said he would still consult with the city councilors and barangay captains.

“I will talk to the allies and, of course, mga dili sad allies (and not our allies). [I will] always consult them kay at the end of the day, ilaha manang presidenti (that is their president). Mao manany mandala [og] tingog sa konseho (that is the one who would bring their voice in the council) so it must be someone they trusted,” Garcia said.

Garcia clarified that, at the moment, he would not be endorsing anyone. However, he left room for the possibility of endorsing someone in the future.

READ: Rama wants Franklin Ong to be re-elected as ABC president

Ong as ABC president

Garcia, on the other hand, said that he had not heard anything negative about the performance of Franklin Ong as the incumbent ABC president, but, nonetheless, he emphasized that there might be other individuals who would be equally capable of performing the responsibility.

“We have to open our eyes and options, di man sad pwede mupiyong lang ta sa kandidato (we cannot also close our eyes to the candidate) there might be other people not only interested but do and perform a good job as ABC president,” Garcia said.

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