Garcia wants Capitol ally Gica suspended

CEBU, Philippines - Dumanjug town Mayor Nelson Garcia and Vice Mayor Efren Gica are at it again, this time with Garcia filing three criminal charges against his political nemesis.

The complaints, Garcia said, stemmed from acts Gica allegedly committed while serving as acting town mayor in the suspension of Garcia.

Garcia filed before the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday charges of malversation of funds, falsification of official documents, and violation of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) against Gica.

He believed his evidence is strong he liked to see whether or not the Capitol would suspend Gica, a member of the administration party.

Garcia last month finished serving the two-month suspension ordered by Governor Hilario Davide III, upon the recommendation of the PB, over the allegation he usurped Gica’s power as vice mayor.

“Akong tan-awon kung ang atong chairman si Board member (Arleigh) Sitoy nga hatagan ba ni niya og pagtagad sa walay politika  kay documentary man ni nga evidence.. Evidence of guilt is strong. Ato sab og tan-awon kung ang atong pinalanggang governor mo-suspenso ba gyod niya isip usa ka liberal party (member),” he said.

“Nanglimbawot akong balahibo…. Presidente pa gyod sa Vice Mayors League, nagpakauwaw sa bansagon niya,” Garcia added.

The complaints were due to an official receipt issued by a Chinese-themed restaurant in Cebu City which was allegedly altered by Gica from the original amount of P11, 435.00 to P21, 435.00 spent for a dinner with some of the town’s barangay officials.

Garcia recounted that Gica, who served as acting mayor in Dumanjug from April 11 to June 11 this year, obtained a cash advance of P50,000 from the municipal treasurer intended for a seminar of barangay officials on April 25, 2104.

Garcia claimed that as far as the Chinese restaurant’s record is concerned, there were only 39 persons who attended the dinner set by Gica after the seminar.

The total cost of that dinner allegedly only amounted to P11,435. But on June 2, 2014, when Gica made a liquidation report of his cash advance, the amount was bloated to P21, 435 instead of P11, 425.

“Nagduda ko nga naa gyoy anomaliya.. Kung moingon ta’g P21,000 unya 39 ra ka tawo so sobra gyod. Nganong moabot man og P21,000. Akong giadto.  Unya akong nakita sa machine copy nga  tinuoray gyod nga P11,000 ra kapin... Akong gitutokan ang resibo, diha nako nakit-an nga ang uno giilisan og dos (I got suspicious that there was an anomaly because P21,000 for 39 persons is too much. When I went to the restaurant to check, I saw a machine copy of the receipt showing it was really just P11,000. Examining the receipt closely, I discovered that one number was changed)” he said.

Sought for his comment, Gica belied the accusation, saying he could not imagine himself doing the act Garcia alleged and that the liquidation of the amount went through a thorough process.

Gica said he had no hold over the money since he assigned another employee to take charge of the transactions.

“Di ko ma-surpresa nga siya na mismo nag-falsify aning mga dokumentoha kay sayon ra man na kaayo pag-ilis sa one…. Gusto lang siguro siya mobalos. Wa siyay nakit-ang laing sayop sa pagdumala sa lungsod. Nanghatag ta’g assistance nga nagkantidad sa P300,000 to 450,000. Nasakitan lang siguro siya gamay kay wa na siya’y ipanghatag,” the vice mayor said.

Garcia, though, said that the only verified entries in the OR were the cashier’s signature and the figure “P11, 435.00,” with one digit allegedly altered by Gica.

 “It will be noted that the 12 percent VAT (Value-added Tax) in the amount of P1, 225 on the left side of the receipt which corresponds to the 12 percent of P10, 209 was not altered by the respondent (Gica). So it would appear in the falsified receipt that the 12 percent VAT for the bloated and falsified P21, 435 is only P1, 225.21. This is, of course, arithmetically absurd and only goes to show that there is really no perfect crime,” Garcia added.

Garcia further alleged that Gica made 100 persons sign as attendees in the dinner to justify the ‘bloated’ amount.

Garcia pointed out that the menu in the Purchase Order consisted of rice, calamares, calderita kanding, pork mechado, beef steak, chicken menudo, embutido, pansit canton, crab meat, lasagna, fruit salad and soft drinks.

“(The Chinese Restaurant) does not serve these kinds of food,” he said, adding that the “tampered” receipt appeared to show the restaurant signed the “conforme” portion when in fact it did not.

Garcia would also file this week an administrative complaint before the Provincial Board against Gica with a prayer for preventive suspension.— (FREEMAN)