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Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro officially appointed Former Tourism Secretary Ace Durano as provincial administrator on Tuesday, July 1, signaling the latter’s return to politics and a shift in the power dynamics of political clans in Cebu.
Durano himself said in a Facebook post on Wednesday, July 2, that he was supposedly enjoying his “semi-retired life.”
“…but the vision of Governor Pam Baricuatro for a better Cebu has inspired me to help in whatever way I can,” he added.
As provincial administrator, Durano is given the power to develop plans, implement and manage administration-related programs that the governor is empowered to do and which the provincial board is empowered to provide under the Local Government Code of 1991.
According to the law, the provincial administrator can convene the chief of offices of several local government units within the jurisdiction of the province and conduct “organizational development” with the goal of effecting administrative reforms.
Section 480 (b) of the law explicitly states that the administrator shall be at the frontlines of the delivery of administrative support services, particularly those related to disasters and calamities.
Baricuatro had already called for the release of funds to support provincial and district hospitals in the procurement of medical supplies and necessities — a major part of her campaign promise that she told Rappler, she would deliver.
With Durano as provincial administrator, the conduct of the newly-elected governor’s health care programs would entail his full involvement, and quite possibly, more visibility for the clan he represents.
Danao-born Durano
It isn’t the first time Durano said that he’s coming out of retirement to work for the people.
The former tourism secretary had been out of the public eye since serving as the campaign manager of Grace Poe when she ran for president in 2016. Before this, he was Cebu’s 5th District representative from 1998 to 2004, tourism secretary from 2004 to 2010, and Cebu 5th District rep again from 2013 to 2016.
In 2021, he announced that he was running for Cebu governor in the 2022 elections, challenging then-reelectionist governor Gwen Garcia. At the time, Durano explained that the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Cebu pushed him to come out of political retirement.
Similar to Baricuatro, he said he would prioritize improving the province’s health care system, criticizing Garcia for outsourcing health workers in Cebu’s district and provincial hospitals amid the pandemic.
Durano lost to Garcia in the 2022 polls but the latter didn’t shy away from calling him a “worthy opponent.”
Durano has the backing of pro-Duterte groups, especially since he ran under Partido Pilipino sa Pagbabago, the party formed by businessman Leonardo Fernandez, to urge then-Davao City mayor Sara Duterte to run for president in 2022 elections.
Durano’s family also consists of influential and experienced political leaders. His father is Danao City Mayor Ramon “Nito” Duterte Durano III, the second cousin of former president Rodrigo Duterte and head of the Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya (BAKUD).
BAKUD is the rival party of Garcia’s One Cebu party in the province, primarily being led by the Durano patriarch in the 5th district of Cebu. In 2022, BAKUD endorsed the presidential and vice presidential bid of ex-senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and then-Davao City mayor Sara Duterte.
Baricuatro also received the same backing in October 2024, when the entire Durano clan threw their support behind her and against Garcia.
In a Facebook post on May 14, Ace penned a congratulatory note for Baricuatro who bested Garcia for the gubernatorial seat in the recent elections.
“I’ll always remember that private talk we had at your house before the campaign — you were convincing me to run, I’m also convincing you…Now that you’re on the frontline of service, we’re here to support you every step of the way,” the Durano son said in a mix of English and Cebuano.
Tides of power
Before becoming provincial administrator, Baricuatro tapped Durano to be her special adviser for economic and political affairs in May.
Unlike Baricuatro, it’s not his first “rodeo” with politics, owing to his time in Congress and the political nature of his lineage.
The new governor is not a greenhorn either, being known for her work as head of humanitarian organization Simply Share Foundation and for her ties with the pro-Duterte group Hakbang ng Maisug. The governor has also been on several engagements with World Bank officials and heads of the Partido ng Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP Laban).
Still, this is Baricuatro’s first dip into politics in Cebu, which is now seeing a decline in the Garcia clan’s popularity.
In the May 12 polls, Baricuatro won with more than 1.1 million votes against Garcia with around 765,000 votes — almost half of the 1.4 million votes that Garcia won in 2022. At the time, Durano got only around 341,000 votes.
Garcia’s nephew, then-incumbent mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia lost in the province’s capital, Cebu City. It was Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival who beat him for the mayoral seat.
While Cebu 5th District Representative Duke Frasco, Garcia’s son-in-law, was reelected, Baricuatro emerged victorious in the local polls in Frasco’s hometown of Liloan. Frasco is married to Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.
This gives the Durano clan and BAKUD the opportunity to fill the power vacuum, and with Ace’s appointment as provincial administrator, they may just have a leg up in their rivalry with Garcia.
As the former tourism secretary makes his debut as provincial administrator alongside the governor, the race for control over Cebu’s future opens to a new chapter. – Rappler.com
