CEBU Governor Hilario Davide III has been named one of the top governors in terms of good governance, transparency, business competitiveness and disaster preparedness by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Davide said he was elated that President Rodrigo Duterte and the National Government have recognized his administration’s efforts to address several issues in the province.
He said he thought the President was only naming and shaming officials with links to the illegal drugs trade.
DILG Secretary Ismael Sueno, in the agency’s website, yesterday said the governors that were listed as “good performing local executives” were selected based on their achievements.
“Containing the illegal drugs problem is only one thing. These governors are also model governors. They are governors in governance and transparency. They are awardees. They are good in disaster preparedness, and they have made their provinces competitive when it comes to business. They are model leaders, model local executives,” Sueno said.
Mayors, next
He said the recognition of “top” governors was only initial, as the National Government will also recognize outstanding city and municipal mayors in the coming weeks.
He clarified that the idea of coming up with a list of top governors was intended to challenge and inspire the local chief executives to continue to improve leadership in the local government units (LGUs) despite the ongoing campaign against illegal drugs that are affecting some local leaders.
Other governors in the “honor list” are Governors Imee Marcos of Ilocos Norte; Faustino Dy III, Isabela; Junie Cua, Quirino; Jose Alvarez, Palawan; Alfredo Maranon Jr, Negros Occidental; Eduardo Chatto, Bohol; Daisy Avance-Fuentes, South Cotabato; Ma. Angelica Rosedell Amante-Matba, Agusan del Norte.
Sueno said some of the names on the list were labeled as members of political dynasties but they have proved to be “very good administrators and very good governors.”
DILG Provincial Director Jerome Gonzales believed that it could be Capitol’s Sugbo Kontra Droga, which impressed Sueno as the latter had vowed to use this as a template for a nationwide program.
Setback
The other day, Duterte promised to release names of LGU officials, who are actively campaigning against illegal drugs.
“I have always emphasized, ang ato (that our) fight against illegal drugs is unrelenting,” Davide.
However, the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drugs Abuse Office has recently suffered a setback.
Illegal drugs, laptops, cellphones and pocket wifis were discovered inside cells of detainees at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), including suspected drug lord Alvaro “Barok” Alvaro, who surrendered to NBI Bohol last June.
This prompted Davide to form Task Force CPDRC. (PR)
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Correction: Palawan's governor is Jose Alvarez, not Eduardo Firmalo as reported earlier. We apologize for the error and thank you for the correction.