Garcia and Loot "kiss and make up"

CEBU, Philippines - Daanbantayan Vice Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot and Governor Gwendolyn Garcia met again in public for the first time since their confrontation last May and patched up their differences.

During the recent celebration of the town’s Haladaya Festival, both lady officials were seen shaking hands and kissed each other’s cheek as a greeting.

In an interview with The FREEMAN, Loot clarified she harbors no ill feelings towards the governor despite the latter’s endorsement of the filing of the administrative charges against her and her son, Mayor Sun Shimura, for their alleged failure to implement various programs of the Provincial Government.

It was their first public meeting since the filing of the complaint last May at the Provincial Board.

Two administrative complaints were filed against Loot and Shimura by Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Marivic Garces and General Services Office officer-in-charge Bernard Calderon.

Garces and Calderon alleged the two top officials of Daanbantayan committed “gross negligence and dereliction of duty” under Section 60 of the Local Government Code for their failure to implement Capitol-initiated programs, such as the Early Child Care and Development and “Saksak” food program and for their failure to maintain a Capitol-issued vehicle.

In May, at the Capitol, the governor confronted Loot over the matter in the presence of Provincial Board Member Agnes Magpale, Garces and Mariquitta Salimbangon-Yeung. In the middle of their meeting, Garcia walked out while Loot remained inside the conference room crying.

Since then, Loot no longer showed up in any of the Capitol’s gathering. “Wala ra gyud to nako because we are here to serve the people. Kung personalon nako, dili nalang ko sa politika,” Loot clarified, adding she and her son are not cutting ties with the Garcias.

Despite the incident, the vice mayor said she remained loyal to the Garcias, who were their allies even during the incumbency of then governor and now congressman Pablo Garcia.

Loot also said that her absence in the activities of the Capitol have no political color. “I’m not the mayor, it’s my son. Dili nako gusto kuhaon ang katungdanan sa akong anak nga maoy mayor unya ako gyud ang moadto. Maayo ra gyud ang among relasyon sa gobernador,” she added.

With regards to the filing of the charges against them, Loot said she and her son already submit their counter-affidavit and it’s up to the Provincial Board to decide on the matter.

“Andam namo dawaton kung unsa man ilang desisyon,” Loot said. – Garry B. Lao/WAB (THE FREEMAN)