Greg asks DILG to stop Gwen's 'acts of usurpation'

CEBU, Philippines - Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr. has filed a petition before the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) seeking reprieve from “acts of usurpations” allegedly perpetrated by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and other Capitol officials.

The other respondents are provincial legal officer Marino Martinquilla, provincial administrator Eduardo Habin, treasurer Roy Salubre, assistant treasurer Emmanuel Guial and human resource management officer Noli Vincent Valencia.

Sanchez asked DILG to order the respondents to cease and desist from committing the alleged “acts of usurpations,” one of which is the arbitrary move of Garcia in 2007 of taking over the signing of the appointments of 18 contractual employees and 39 casual employees assigned to the Office of the Vice Governor. Sanchez also complained of the issuance of a cease and desist memorandum against the employees. 

Citing the Local Government Code of 1991, Garcia claimed earlier stood by her “right” to appoint all officials and employees whose salaries and wages are wholly or mainly paid out of provincial funds while Sanchez also claimed the right.

Aside from the appointment of the employees, Garcia also slashed the budget of the vice governor’s office to P18 million from the previous P45 million in the proposed 2011 annual budget of P3 billion.

Sanchez said the slashing of his budget topped all encroachments of legislative powers by the governor.

“We do not encroach executive powers, but help the Governor to reach as many people as possible and attend to their needs,” Sanchez said.

Garcia also ordered to stop the publication of the “Legislative Gavel,” the newsletter of the Provincial Board, saying it is duplicating “Sugbo” magazine, which is under the Office of the Governor.

But Sanchez insists the two publications are “very different” because they reflect “two very different and separate departments.”

Likewise, the funding of the Legislative Research and Codification Project was transferred from the Vice Governor’s Office to the Provincial Governor’s Office.

While Garcia is yet to explain the move, Sanchez said “it does not only mean that codification work, which is for the legislative department is snatched out from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the people working on it will be terminated.”

Sanchez also complained of the non-payment of overtime pay for his personnel on the grounds that only the governor has the power to authorize overtime services off all employees of Capitol, which “the governor has done only now that they are not in good terms with the vice-governor.”

Furthermore, Sanchez complained Garcia’s hiring of consultants without authority from the Provincial Board.

Sanchez also raised to DILG the governor’s issuance of P20 million check to then Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro as donation for the victims of typhoon Ondoy when the Provincial Board only authorized P10 million.

“In the provincial government of the empire Province of Cebu, encroachment of Constitutional rights is shamelessly and brazenly being practiced. Orchestrated by no less the Provincial Governor, Gwendolyn F. Garcia, with the connivance of the rest of the respondents, the undersigned was deprived and stripped of his power and authority bestowed on him by law and rendered the second highest of the province inutile and ineffective in serving his constituents,” the petition reads.

In a message to The FREEMAN, Capitol spokesperson Rory John Sepulveda said Garcia has already answered several of the issues while the others are now pending in court.

“What authority is he talking about? Authority to prepare the executive budget? Again, I hope he does not further reveal his true self to the public. It is an unpleasant sight,” Sepulveda said. (FREEMAN)