Davide skips debate; challengers dismayed

Three gubernatorial candidates faced off in a debate organized by a local radio station yesterday, and took turns expressing their disappointment over the refusal of reelectionist Gov. Hilario Davide III to participate in the exercise.

Winston Garcia, standard bearer of One Cebu, first brought up Davide’s absence by initially refusing to sign a peace covenant unless the governor signs it.

“He (Davide) can just come here to sign,” Garcia said during the debate held at the Bombo Radyo Cebu studio.

Others who showed up were independent candidates Boyet Cortes and Nito Magnanao.

Cortes, who ran and lost to Davide in 2013, criticized Davide for saying the debate is a “waste of time.”

At the time of the debate, Davide was in the City of Naga in southern Cebu accompanying Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II in a campaign sortie. He did not respond to calls and text messages.

Garcia has repeatedly challenged Davide to a debate, but the governor has always turned him down.

Davide also turned down Bombo Radyo’s invitation.

“While I appreciate your initiative to provide the public with the avenue to vote wisely by listening to platforms and positions, I regret that I have to decline your invitation,” Davide said in his letter to Bombo earlier this week.

The governor earlier said a debate with his opponent(s) is “an exercise in futility and a waste of (his) time.”

If elected, Garcia promised to build a light railway transit system from Carcar City in the south to Danao City in the north, free hospitalization and medical services for all Cebuanos as well as free vocational education.

Magnanao, an educator and retired soldier, promised to help the farmers and establish more cooperatives for the agriculture sector.

Cortes, for his part, said he intends to implement the Metro Cebu Development Authority to ease traffic congestion and establish agro-eco-tourism-industrial zones in the mountains to develop the countryside.