Mayor Garcia back in office after suspension

CEBU, Philippines - After serving a six-month suspension, Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Gamaliel Garcia assumed office yesterday with the promise that all will be “business as usual.”

A day before his return, Garcia sent a letter to Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III informing him that he would be assuming again as mayor of the town.

 “I have the honor to inform you that the six months suspension imposed upon me by your Suspension Order dated April 30, 2015, and which took effect upon my receipt thereof on May 4, 2015, will expire on November 4, 2015,” part of his letter read.

Garcia was imposed a six-month suspension for grave abuse of authority.

In an interview with The FREEMAN over the phone, Garcia said his comeback went smoothly, except that Vice Mayor Efren Guntrano Gica, who served as acting mayor during Garcia’s suspension, allegedly refused to turn over the key of the mayor’s office.

“Di siguro siya ganahan mobalik ko,” he said, adding that this prompted him to have his office’s door forcibly opened.

Garcia was set to meet the town’s department heads yesterday.

In a separate interview, Gica belied Garcia’s allegation on the refusal to hand over the key to the mayor’s office, saying he even left the office open the day before Garcia’s return.

“In fact didto ang mga police kay nangayo man siya’g assistance pero pag-abot nila didto naa na man gane siya sulod,” he said.

The Vice Mayor also denied that the Office of the Mayor will get no share in the 2016 budget amounting to P114 million which was approved by the municipal council last Friday.

“He just got a dose of his own medicine. That’s what he did to me and the previous vice mayors… But it’s not true nga way budget sa iyang office oi. We only approved minimal lang,” he told The FREEMAN. He, however, said he cannot recall the exact amount of the approved budget for the mayor’s office.

He added that it was even Garcia’s cousin, councilor Antonio Garcia, who moved for the approval of the 2016 budget.

In March this year, the Provincial Board found Garcia guilty of grave abuse of authority and misconduct for encroaching on the power of the vice mayor to appoint a secretary to the municipal council. But Garcia contested that he did not appoint but only “designated”.

 The case stemmed from the complaint lodged by Gica on September 16, 2013.

In April, Davide implemented the decision of the legislative body and issued a suspension order against Garcia.  (FREEMAN)