Agnes welcome in Dumanjug- Mayor Garcia

FROM being persona non grata, Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale is now welcome to visit Dumanjug town, the hometown of former Gov. Gwen Garcia, anytime.

Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia sealed this assurance with an embrace and a smile for Magpale, whom he met by chance at the Capitol where he went to make a courtesy call on Gov. Hilario Davide III.

Nelson was surprised when Vice Govenor Magpale emerged from a meeting.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes in the hallway.

Magpale took the initiative and asked about her persona non grata status, which was publicly displayed in a streamer hanging outside the town hall during the campaign.

“I gave her my word that the persona non grata status approved by the town’s councilors is gone. She is welcome anytime in Dumanjug,” Nelson told reporters.

“Politics is very divisive, it can destroy relationships. For me, it was nothing personal. Now we all have to move forward,” he added.

Last January, the Dumanjug municipal council passed a resolution declaring Magpale, then acting governor and Provincial Board (PB) Member Arleigh Sitoy as “persona non grata.”

The two officials were accused of maligning the reputation of Nelson’s sister, Gwendolyn the governor, who is now congresswoman of Cebu’s 3rd district after she was suspended for usurpation of authority by the Office of the President.

Nelson at the time said the town council found it unacceptable for Magpale and Sitoy to “continually malign Gwen who brought much development to the town.”

He said the declaration will only be lifted if both Magpale and Sitoy will issue a public apology to his sister.

Dumanjug, her parent’s hometown in the 2nd district is where Gwen was a registered voter until she transferred to Barili in the 3rd district in time for the May 2013 election.

Yesterday, Nelson, who described Davide as “the father of Cebu”, said he assured the new governor of Dumanjug’s support for his administration.

He was supposed to have joined the group of One Cebu party mayors who visited Davide last yweek.

He said he felt a bit nervous because it was his first time to meet Davide.

“Muduol ta sa bag-ong amahan sa probinsya. Isip man ta nga usa sa iyang mga anak, nanghinaot ta nga mawala na ang mga bingkil sa politika (We should approach the new father of the province. We are like his children and we hope that the conflict in politics will be gone),” he said.

Davide later said he appreciated Mayor Garcia’s visit.

“Why should he feel nervous? It was also my first time meeting him in person,” he said. Correspondent Peter Romanillos