DAVAO CITY – Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez bared on Thursday, April 11, that Gov. Edwin Jubahib’s 60-day protective suspension stemmed from the planned Hakbang ng Maisug candlelight prayer rally at the Provincial Sports Complex in Tagum City on April 14.
ALVAREZ (Ivy Tejano)
Alvarez said that two individuals allegedly representing Special Assistant to the President (OSAP) Antonio Lagdameo Jr. visited the provincial capitol and persuaded the governor to call off the rally, citing potential embarrassment for Lagdameo as SAP of the Davao del Norte.
He added that the prayer rally would also embarrass Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy and Vice Gov. Carlo “Oyo” Uy, who temporarily replaced Jubahib as governor following the suspension order from the Office of the President (OP) dated April 8, 2024.
“I have nothing to boast about in life, no high education to be proud of, nor sufficient wealth to flaunt. But at least here, I can take pride in having my word. I have committed to hosting a rally here at the sports complex of Davao del Norte,” Alvarez, qouting Jubahib, said in a local dialect.
The lawmaker said Jubahib was having trouble calling off the prayer rally since he had committed 100,000 participants to the rally first staged here last January. He added that Lagdameo arrived in Tagum the following day and called for a meeting, but Jubahib did not attend.
According to Alvarez, the governor did not meet Lagdameo in a restaurant as he had to attend to the needs of the people.
This allegedly made the SAP angry and feel disrespected by Jubahib and decided to replace the governor or put him under suspension, Alvarez said, followed by the order.
He said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) went to the capitol to serve the order but were not allowed to come in, prompting them to post the order at the gate. After about 30 minutes when they left, Uy was sworn in as acting governor.
According to the order signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Jubahib was suspended due to a complaint filed by a Provincial Board Member, Orly Amit, on November 24, 2022, accusing the governor of abusing authority and oppression.
Jubahib refused to step down from his post because he said the suspension order violated his right to due process. He said the preventive suspension was unjust since he was not invited to face any trial or even before the Office of the President.
Alvarez said he advised Jubahib to stay in his office as a duly elected governor. He added that the suspension order and assumption of office of the vice governor were illegal and had violated the very principles of the Constitution.
Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, listening beside Alvarez, did not hold back from accusing President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of being a dictator.
He warned Marcos that he was not following democracy and was veering towards a more authoritarian government.
“I am accusing Marcos of bringing us back to the old politics, putting a duly elected individual into suspension, then removing him from his post. If that is what he is doing now, I am accusing him of being an authoritarian leader,” Duterte said in a local dialect.
“You know, we are drifting into that kind of set-up, which I think is very important for the President to realize. Mr. President, you are not following democracy and veering to a more authoritarian government. Mahirap ‘yan (That is difficult). I am warning you, I will not allow that,” he added.
Duterte said he did not intend to engage in a conflict with Marcos but rather to convey that he had undertaken numerous actions that were not appropriate.
He advised Marcos to remember that Jubahib was voted into office by the people and it was not right to remove him from his post.