By MARK FRANCISCO
BELEAGUERED Kinoguitan, Misamis Oriental Mayor Danilo Lagbas Jr. said the impending two-month suspension against him is pure political harassment.
In an interview September 20 with Brigada News FM, Lagbas declared that the local government unit from the time of his wife, then Mayor Lilibeth Lagbas, since 2019 to the present has never been remiss in the issue surrounding Port Nouveau in barangay Panabol.
Lagbas said that the local government unit has never signed any document pertaining to the construction and operation of the port.
Despite that, the mayor is facing an administrative complaint of gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the public before the provincial board.
The board is seeking a 60-day preventive suspension while they are tackling the complaint to prevent the respondent from influencing witnesses.
Lagbas however acknowledged that the LGU gave the go-ahead for the establishment of a new cafe in the municipality which is operated by the same company that owns the port.
“Pero ang cafe layo ra kaayo sa shoreline,” Lagbas said.
The mayor said he is also aware of the findings of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) that the port construction has breached corals in the area.
But Lagbas said that as early as 2019, they already had a series of meetings with BFAR and the agency has vowed that they will be the ones to sanction the port management.
Lagbas added that in June this year, representatives from the provincial environment and natural resources office accompanied by provincial attorney Cerilio Neil Pacana met him to tackle the matter.
According to Lagbas, Pacana reportedly told him that the Capitol would take the cudgel for the municipal government in filing a damage suit against the port management.
“So dili g’yud na tinuod nga wala mi gihimo sa LGU. Karon ra man ni nitumaw nga isyu nga mipadayag ako nga modagan pagka-gobernador,” he said.
Three weeks ago, rumors have swirled that Lagbas would challenge the impending reelection ambition of Gov. Peter Unabia.
Then the administrative complaint emerged.
According to board member Gerardo Sabal III, the provincial board will transmit their resolution recommending Lagbas’ suspension to the office of the governor.
Under law, the governor will be the one to sign the suspension order.
Lagbas said should that happen, he would contest it.
