Davide overtakes Garcia in Cebu gubernatorial race

Gubernatorial candidate Hilario Davide III, son of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., has taken the lead in the Cebu gubernatorial race, outpacing the Garcia clan’s Pablo John, who is currently Cebu’s Third District Representative. With 63.99 percent of the election returns in, Davide garnered 565,008 votes, 152,008 more than the Cebu congressman’s 413,000 votes, according to GMA’s Eleksyon 2013 partial unofficial tally of votes as of 4:46 p.m. Tuesday. Other gubernatorial bets Klasmit Boyet Cortes and Lito Bulala were scrambling at the tail end having 22,238 and 7,014 votes, respectively. Meanwhile, suspended Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia has a slim lead in the race for her younger brother’s congressional seat, having 89,749 votes in the Third District race against Geraldine Yapha’s 85,596 votes. Last December 19, the Department of Interior and Local Government imposed a six-month suspension order on the elder Garcia over an alleged case of abuse of power. Of five members of the Garcia political clan running in Cebu, only two – Gwendolyn and her son Nelson, running as Dumajug, Cebu mayor—could possibly assume or remain in power, a television report aired at GMA News Tv’s “Balita Pilipinas” noted. Nelson Garcia is running against Cesar Baricuatro in the Dumajug mayoralty race. Garcia is currently leading, with 8,725 votes compared to Baricuatro’s 7,197 votes, according to GMA’s Eleksyon 2013 partial unofficial count representing 64.7 percent of votes. — Rouchelle R. Dinglasan/BM, GMA News