Junjun Davide: The most honorable public official   

If we, Cebuanos, are looking for "a breath of fresh air inside a catacomb of stench and decay" then we should look no farther. There is one Cebuano public servant we can truly be proud of; Hilario Perez Davide III, honest, humble, low-key, with strong moral fiber, and with no record of corruption, tax evasion, drugs, or any marital infidelity. If I had the power to give one authentic leadership award, I would give it to him.

Vice Governor Junjun, as we fondly call him, is a fine gentleman admired even by his political rivals. If I were his opponent, I would concede to him and gain his respect, even before the elections. There is no way that Junjun Davide can be defeated. He has been a conscientious, careful, caring, and compassionate man of honor and dignity. There is no other public official in Cebu or even in the whole Philippines who could hold a lamp before this perfect icon of public service. He is soft-spoken, very polite, and he always honors his words. This is one rare politician who never tells a lie, never promises anything he does not intend to fulfill.

Even Governor Gwen conceded, that in the last three years, the vice governor had acted with graceful cooperation, and proved himself a decent and reasonable public official. When the province was at the height of the war against drugs, the other political enemies of the governor were trying to attack the governor maliciously with all sorts of stories and allegations. But the vice governor knew in his heart that in times of crises, public servants should not play politics. Thus, he gave his full support and he guided the Provincial Board to pass all legislative measures in support of the governor's relentless war against COVID-19.

Well-bred, son of a very great father (a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee in public service, former chief justice, Comelec chairman, Batasan Pambansa congressman, delegate to the 1973 Concon and 1986 Concom, and ambassador extraordinary plenipotentiary to the UN) and a very loving but stern disciplinarian mom, (a career UP academician), Junjun was well-educated in the Sacred Heart School for Boys, in UP Visayas, and in the University of San Carlos. He grew up with strong moral values and love of God, country, and family. He made his parents proud when he passed the Bar and showed all the signs of becoming a worthy son of outstanding parents. Junjun is married but prefers to keep his family life private.

On a personal note, when my first daughter got married, the chief justice agreed to be the principal sponsor, but due to a prior commitment, he sent the governor to stand in representation. Governor Junjun did arrive and graced the wedding in the St. James Church inside Ayala Alabang, and from the church flew back to Cebu just to honor the request from me and his dad. His dad and himself, together the former vice governor Agnes Magpale also attended the burial of my father in Ronda. They are so loved by the people, and I could see that these gentlemen are rare breed in politics.

Junjun Davide defeated Pablo John Garcia in 2013 with a margin of about 164,000 votes. Although he lost to Governor Gwen, it was by less than a hundred thousand. He had no money to match the logistics of the Garcias. Those who voted for Junjun did so out of true respect, love, and trust. Junjun could have easily dominate the 2nd District congressional contest in May, but he is a patient man. He always give others a chance. By deciding to run for reelection, he opted a run with no sweat. And the province needs such a gentleman, honest, humble, and true.