By Calvin D. Cordova
CEBU CITY — Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia withdraw on Friday the executive order (EO) that she issued allowing motorcycle backriding in Cebu.
(ALVIN KASIBAN / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Garcia’s decision to withdraw EO No. 19 was in response to President Duterte’s pronouncement that quashed Cebu’s plans to allow motorcycle backriding.
“You know, much as I would like to accommodate Governor Garcia and the board members, here’s what I can say: If I begin to give an exemption to one… I will open myself to charges of anti-graft law, giving another an undue advantage,” Duterte said in an address early morning Friday.
The Cebu Provincial Board was supposed to hold a special session yesterday to adopt Garcia’s EO that would have paved the way for allowing motorcycle backriding in the province.
After the President’s nation address, Garcia instructed the board to defer the special session.
“Una sa tanan, tungod kay siya may akong Presidente mopatuo ko niya… I will withdraw my EO in deference sa sulti sa Presidente (First of all, because he is my President, I will follow him. I will withdraw my EO in deference to what the President said,” Garcia said in an interview with Cebu City-based radio station dyLA.
Last Thursday, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Epimaco Densing asked Garcia not to pursue with her plans to allow motorcycle backriding lest she will be given a show-case order and may face criminal and administrative charges.
Densing said disallowing motorcycle backriding was part of the guidelines that the national government has undertaken to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Garcia maintained that she was just acting on the appeal of the Cebuanos to ease the burden of daily commuting since public transportation is limited under the general community quarantine.
“I just want to qualify that it is not my request. I just acted upon the plea of the people,” Garcia said in Cebuano.
In issuing the EO, Garcia cited Republic Act (RA) 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code that allows motorcycle backriding with no fee charged.
“To all the Cebuanos, I did everything I can in the past four months that our situation was difficult because of the restrictions caused by COVID 19,” said Garcia.
(ALVIN KASIBAN / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Garcia’s decision to withdraw EO No. 19 was in response to President Duterte’s pronouncement that quashed Cebu’s plans to allow motorcycle backriding.
“You know, much as I would like to accommodate Governor Garcia and the board members, here’s what I can say: If I begin to give an exemption to one… I will open myself to charges of anti-graft law, giving another an undue advantage,” Duterte said in an address early morning Friday.
The Cebu Provincial Board was supposed to hold a special session yesterday to adopt Garcia’s EO that would have paved the way for allowing motorcycle backriding in the province.
After the President’s nation address, Garcia instructed the board to defer the special session.
“Una sa tanan, tungod kay siya may akong Presidente mopatuo ko niya… I will withdraw my EO in deference sa sulti sa Presidente (First of all, because he is my President, I will follow him. I will withdraw my EO in deference to what the President said,” Garcia said in an interview with Cebu City-based radio station dyLA.
Last Thursday, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Epimaco Densing asked Garcia not to pursue with her plans to allow motorcycle backriding lest she will be given a show-case order and may face criminal and administrative charges.
Densing said disallowing motorcycle backriding was part of the guidelines that the national government has undertaken to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Garcia maintained that she was just acting on the appeal of the Cebuanos to ease the burden of daily commuting since public transportation is limited under the general community quarantine.
“I just want to qualify that it is not my request. I just acted upon the plea of the people,” Garcia said in Cebuano.
In issuing the EO, Garcia cited Republic Act (RA) 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code that allows motorcycle backriding with no fee charged.
“To all the Cebuanos, I did everything I can in the past four months that our situation was difficult because of the restrictions caused by COVID 19,” said Garcia.