Over Balili property: “Never Again” billboard installed in Talisay City

CEBU, Philippines - Another “Never Again” billboard has been set up, this time along the South Coastal Road in Barangay Tanke, Talisay City.

Motorists, who noticed the big billboard yesterday morning, told The FREEMAN they believed those behind the billboard at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City are the same people who erected the one in Talisay.

The Talisay City billboard says “NEVER AGAIN... UNDERWATER BALILI PROPERTY 100 MILLION PESOS OF PEOPLE’S MONEY WASTED!!!”  and supposedly set up by the group “CEBUANOS FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT,” which earlier claimed as behind the CICC banner.

 Motorists going south are the ones who would see the billboard as it was facing Cebu City.

The message was in reference to the controversial lot purchased by the provincial government during the administration of former governor and currently third district Representative Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia. Winston, Gwen’s brother, is challenging incumbent Cebu Go-vernor Hilario Davide III for his post.

Talisay City Mayor Johnny de los Reyes said he plans to check on who gave permission for the group to post the billboard in his city. De los Reyes is an ally of Davide, the administration’s Liberal Party standard bearer in Cebu.

Sought for her reaction on the second “Never Again” banner, former governor, Gwen suggested for the group behind it to instead use its money for much-needed projects that will translate to the development of Cebu.

“Here we go again. Wa pa mo motagam? There were a lot of red, embarrassed faces on the banner at the CICC and yet, here you are with the same old tactic, of the same rehashed issues which people are getting sick and tired of. It’s pathetic,” she said.

“This murky and mysterious group which nobody knows about should come forward and be transparent about where they get their funds, how much they paid for those huge banners, and how much they are paying for the billboard space at the SRP,” she added.

Garcia explained that the Balili property are all titled lots and bought at P400 per square meter and is now valued at around P2,000 or more per square meter.

She said it would have earned millions of dollars for the province had Davide not cancelled the agreement with a foreign power generating firm for the company to dump its coal ash at the property.

The Capitol, she said, was also supposed to sign an agreement for a waste-to-energy plant to be put up in that same property that would have earned rental and shared revenue for the province.

“So, Davide is really very familiar with wasting people’s money. He is doing it with the CICC and he has been wasting opportunities for the province to earn income. Yes, indeed, NEVER AGAIN to an administration that has no foresight and has been willing to sacrifice general welfare and investment opportunities for the sake of political vindictiveness,” Gwen said. —/RHM (FREEMAN)