Baricuatro denies receiving, using bullet-proof SUV from contractor
CEBU Gov. Pamela Baricuatro denies that this Land Cruiser was given to her by a contractor. (MyTVCebu)
CEBU CITY – Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro denied receiving a sports utility vehicle (SUV) from a contractor, who recently appeared in a Senate hearing probing anomalous flood control projects.
Baricuatro on Wednesday, Sept. 10, said the bullet-proof Land Cruiser that she is currently using is owned by a lawyer friend, who lent her the vehicle for security purposes.
“There were text messages threatening that I would be killed. That’s why my friends became worried. They were very concerned because it takes just one bullet, you know, to finish me off," she told reporters in mixed Cebuano and English.
Baricuatro issued the clarification to deny insinuations that the SUV was given to her by Allan Quirante, owner of QM Builders, a company that secured numerous flood control projects nationwide between 2022 and 2025.
Baricuatro said the Land Cruiser is an old unit that she has been using since the campaign period. During the press briefing, the governor presented documents proving ownership of the vehicle.
Baricuatro said she continues to use the SUV and pays for its fuel, saying that the Capitol has yet to provide her an official service vehicle.
Baricuatro’s disclosure came after former Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia insinuated that someone received a Land Cruiser from Quirante.
In a press conference on Monday, Garcia denied having personal ties with Quirante. Garcia clarified that Quirante was able to secure projects with the Capitol when she was the governor.
In denying ties to Quirante, Garcia instead turned the tables on her successor.
“No one gave me a Land Cruiser that is bullet-proof, color grey,” Garcia said.