Guv Gwen vows to finish term amid supposed attempts to oust her

Local

OUTGOING Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on Wednesday firmly declared she will serve out her full fifth term, which ends on June 30, despite what she called a coordinated attempt to oust her from office.

In her first media appearance since losing her bid for a sixth term, Garcia revealed a new complaint had been lodged against her by an individual named Michelle R. Osmeña.

Filed on October 22, 2024 before the Office of the Ombudsman, the complaint accuses Garcia of grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, and actions prejudicial to the public interest.

The allegations are linked to Garcia’s issuance of a cease-and-desist order halting a section of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project along Osmeña Boulevard.

Garcia questioned the validity and timing of the complaint during the press conference. Her legal counsel, Atty. Mae Elaine Bathan, said the new case bore striking similarities to a previous complaint filed by former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama before the Office of the President.

That earlier case had been dismissed on October 22, 2024, the same date Osmeña’s complaint was filed, due to lack of prima facie evidence.

In March 2024, a similar case was previously filed by dismissed Cebu City mayor Michael Rama before the Office of the President but was ultimately dismissed.

Bathan emphasized that the complaint filed by Osmeña appeared rushed and questionable.

“The grounds for preventive suspension are clear, but not a single element exists to warrant yet another attempt to preventively suspend Governor Gwen or to support any of these administrative or criminal cases against her. The documents do not lie," Bathan said.

Garcia’s legal team also cast doubt on the identity of the complainant.

They alleged that the identification documents submitted by Osmeña were fictitious and that the notarial details included in the filing were inconsistent and suspicious.

The governor tied this latest complaint to what she believes is a continuing and coordinated campaign to suspend her before the end of her term.

She pointed out that the complaint from Osmeña followed another administrative case filed by Moises Garcia Deiparine, which already led to a preventive suspension order from the Ombudsman on April 23.

That complaint accused Garcia of issuing a special permit for desilting operations in Talisay City without securing the required environmental clearance.

Garcia defended her decision, saying that the desilting was conducted to address water supply issues amid the dry season. She stressed that it did not involve quarrying, contrary to the allegations raised.

Her legal team later secured a 60-day temporary restraining order from the Court of Appeals, effectively halting the implementation of the suspension.

Garcia questioned the speed of the Ombudsman’s action on the Deiparine case.

“This has to make the Guinness Book of Records for the fastest complaint filed and resolved,” she said, noting how quickly the suspension order was signed and served.

She also believes her March 25 cease-and-desist order against Apo Land and Quarry Corp. may have further provoked legal backlash. That order expired on April 24, or just one day after the suspension order against her was issued.

Garcia declined to extensively comment on her defeat in the recent elections, which saw Pamela Baricuatro declared as the next governor of Cebu.

However, she issued a pointed remark aimed at an unnamed political rival.

“She was supposed to be proclaimed already, but they continue to malign me and keep spreading false information,” Garcia said.

Despite the legal challenges now looming over her final year in office, Garcia said she remains unfazed. She vowed to serve until the very last day of her term as governor of Cebu.

Garcia ended her press conference with strong words, however, she did not specify who the targets were.

“Nothing destroys one’s respect in the hearts of others than greed. I had so much respect for you but your unfathomable and insatiable greed has destroyed that respect," she added.(MyTVCebu)