Garcia to Baquerfo: "Go sue me, make my day"

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday dared Tudela Mayor Rogelio Baquerfo to file a complaint against her for allegedly intervening on the failure to pay the salaries of the town’s employees.

“Go ahead, make my day. Ayaw ko’g hulga-hulgaa anang kiha kay kanang kiha mao na’y nakapa-eskwela namo,” Gov. Garcia said.

The governor’s father, former governor and now second sistrict Rep. Pablo Garcia, is bar top-notcher and her mother, Esperanza, is a retired judge.

The governor also clarified that she is not taking over the operations of the local government unit reiterating that she would only act as signatory in the disbursement of the funds in order to put an end to the confusion of bank officials. Baquerfo reportedly refused to allow Gov. Garcia to sign the voucher, invoking his current position as the legitimate mayor.

He also threatened to take legal action against her to question the notice she sent to Land Bank allowing her to be the signatory of the voucher for the release of the money for the town employee’s salaries.

Last Wednesday, Vice Mayor Clint Maratas and some town councilors went to see the governor to let her know of their concern over the five-month delay in the release of the salaries of almost 150 workers.

This prompted Gov. Garcia to immediately call for a meeting with Provincial Treasurer Roy Salubre and Land Bank assistant manager Llewylyn Cavite to discuss the matter.   The Land Bank officials have refused to be caught in the crossfire because there are two persons claiming to be the mayor of the town. The two mayors, Baquerfo and Demetrio Granada, have also appointed their respective municipal accountants.

Baquerfo was proclaimed winner in the 2007 elections but Judge Edito Enemecio of the Regional Trial Court, acting on the protest filed by Granada, declared last January that the latter won by a margin of 13 votes.

Granada assumed office in April but Baquerfo insisted that he remained the mayor based on a Commission on Elections decision last September, nullifying the court decision.

Granada’s motion for reconsideration is still pending with the Comelec.

Gov. Garcia invoked the general welfare clause of the Local Government Code as basis for intervening in Tudela’s municipal operations.

The governor said she has to intervene because aside from the non-release of salary, the conflict has also hampered the town’s delivery of basic services to its constituents. Salubre, in an interview with reporters, said that the town’s garbage collection and street lighting were totally affected.

“One hundred percent gyud nga napasagdan. Nagkinahanglan gyud ang Tudela og serbisyo,” said Salubre, who just returned from Tudela yesterday morning.

After hearing the report of Salubre, Gov. Garcia immediately ordered him to send to the town the Capitol’s mini-dump truck so that garbage there will be collected.

The governor said it is expected that the town workers will receive their salary today because the provincial treasurer will be reporting in the town to facilitate the release of the salaries to employees.

“In a small town, it affects everybody and I will not allow that to happen,” she said. — Garry B. Lao/WAB (THE FREEMAN)