CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Governor Peter Unabia Jr. on Monday signed a 60-day preventive suspension order recommended by the provincial board against his possible rival in the 2025 midterm election — Kinoguitan town mayor Danilo Lagbas Jr. — for alleged failure to stop the illegal construction of a small port in barangay Panabo.

In an interview with local radio station “Magnum Radyo 999” provincial board member Gerardo “Boboy “Sabal 111 confirmed that the suspension order was already signed by governor Unabia and will be implemented anytime with the help of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to pave the way for the investigation of the provincial board on the complaint filed by Vice Mayor Carlito Zarate.

“Governor Unabia is coordinating with the provincial legal officer in reviewing the recommendation of the provincial board to suspend Mayor Lagbas for 60 says,” he said.

Sabal said the suspension was an offshoot of the inaction of Lagbas to stop the construction of a small port which was intended as a jump off point for a sea travel of tourists to a hotel in the island province of Camiguin.

He said the complaint was filed last August and the provincial board decided to recommend the suspension to prevent the influence of the mayor on the start of the investigation on the alleged administrative charge.

The suspension came a week after Lagbas announced that he was accepting the challenge of his fellow mayors to run as governor against the incumbent governor in the 2025 midyear election.

He said he has decided to accept the challenge posed by his fellow mayors in the province to run as governor against incumbent governor Peter Unabia.

In a separate interview, Lagbas branded the suspension order as “overkill” and politically motivated saying that the supposed construction of the small port was never carried out since 2019 after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) took action against the alleged violation.

He said the only role of the local government was to issue a business permit of a coffee shop in the site and the investigation of illegal port construction has been taken over by the BFAR and DENR.

“It was an overkill except for the presence of a backhoe; there is no construction ongoing in the area,” he said.

Lagbas also clarified that unless he will file his certificate of candidacy next month is not yet a candidate for the gubernatorial race in the 2025 midterm election.