MANDAUE City Mayor Glenn Bercede has clarified the reason for his absence during the recent visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla to Cebu.
Bercede explained that important prior commitments had caused him to miss the events and not political differences.
Bercede told reporters on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, that he was unable to attend the meeting at the Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 30, because he had to be in Manila to prepare for a clarificatory hearing before the Office of the Ombudsman scheduled the following day, Jan. 31.
The hearing was in relation to a case filed against him and dismissed Mandaue City mayor Jonas Cortes, involving allegations of grave misconduct and usurpation of authority.
Bercede said he planned his trip in advance and was scheduled to fly to Manila at 3 p.m. on Jan. 30.
However, due to a security lockdown for the President’s visit, which began at 11 a.m. and was expected to last until the event concluded, Bercede feared that he might not make it to his flight.
Given the uncertainty of when the event would end, he opted to skip the meeting with the President rather than risk missing his hearing.
“If I get caught in the lockdown, where will I end up? And if I don’t make it to my hearing there, I’m done for,” Bercede said in Cebuano, adding that missing the hearing could have serious consequences.
Bercede said his absence had nothing to do with political differences or a lack of support for the Marcos administration.
He confirmed that he had received an invitation to the event and had properly informed Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s office in advance that he would be unable to attend.
“There is no issue with the current administration. I was in Manila to focus on my hearing preparations,” Bercede said, adding that he holds deep respect for the national leadership.
His absence was again noted on Wednesday, Feb. 5, when DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla met with Governor Garcia and other local leaders at the Capitol.
While Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan were present, Bercede was not in attendance.
The mayor clarified that he had a prior engagement that conflicted with Remulla’s visit.
He said he had initially committed to attending the engagement when it was scheduled for an earlier date, but since the meeting was moved to Feb. 5, it clashed with an existing schedule.
Bercede said he had properly coordinated his absence with DILG Mandaue Director John Joan Mende.
He also reiterated that missing these events should not be interpreted as distancing himself from the administration as his priorities at the time were unavoidable commitments.
“If there are future invitations and I happen to be free from my commitments, I am more than willing to attend the events,” Bercede said. (CAV)