- Says “ayaw nag paliba”
Tagum City – Davao del Norte 1st District Congressman Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez drew laughters from motley crowd in a press conference when he declared that he will change the name of Tagum City into “Liba City” if the incumbent Governor Edwin Jubahib will win in this provincial capital in the coming elections.
“Liba” is a Cebuano word with various shades of meaning among these are ‘tomfoolery’ and ‘deception’.
Alvarez said that the electorates of Tagum City were deceived in the last election for voting Jubahib as governor.
In an earlier declaration the former Speaker admitted that he made a mistake when he endorsed Jubahib, his former Chief of Staff, as governor of Davao del Norte. In the same occasion Alvarez remorsefully said that he committed a big blunder (“sipyat” in Cebuano) when again he supported Jubahib despite knowing that he has done nothing for the development of the province.
In the press conference the other day, Congressman Alvarez, who is running for Vice Governor of Davao del Norte, said that for him to support and for Tagum City electorates to vote Jubahib the third time is allowing themselves to be fooled (“naliba”).
After making his point clear, Alvarez stressed, “Kani timan-i ang akong sulti karon. Sa sunod diri sa Tagum City padag-on gani ninyo si Edwin Jubahib pagka-gobernador, maningkamot ko nga mailisan ang pangalan sa Tagum City …dili na Tagum … City of libaan – Liba City. Kay ngano? Kay nagpaliba ta”, Alvarez concluded. ( “This you must remember what I say today. If again here in Tagum City you will allow Edwin Jubahib to win again as governor, I will strive to change the name of Tagum City no longer Tagum but City of Fools. Why? Because we allowed ourselves to be fooled”).
In a separate interview with the Mindanao Journal, Congressman Alvarez who made headlines for filing charges against Speaker Martin Romualdez on various issues, expressed confidence he will “deliver a big victory” this coming midterm elections.
Alvarez and Jubahib became irreconcilable when the governor abandoned Partido Reporma chaired by Alvarez and joined President Marcos Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. In a supreme betrayal of their political ties Jubahib also fielded his own daughter Clarice to run as vice governor pitting her against Alvarez.
The former Speaker had since then been pitching for fellow Congressman Alan Dujali for governor of Davao del Norte acknowledging that Dujali has a litany of accomplishments compared to the dismal performance of his former protege’.
Alvarez also revealed that aside from being suspended twice for Grave Abuse of Authority and unauthorized use of provincial government facilities in a rally, he discovered that Jubahib is facing various complaints in the Office of the Ombudsman.
