Garcia to withdraw cases versus Gica

CEBU, Philippines - Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Gamaliel Garcia wants to withdraw his four administrative complaints against his vice mayor, Efren Guntrano Gica, accusing that the Provincial Board is not acting on these complaints.

He also cited ‘unfair judgment’ of the body’s investigating committee, with members being allies of Gica in the Liberal Party, as another reason that prompted him not to pursue with his complaints. Garcia belongs to One Cebu party.

He alleged that the PB Committee on Complaints and Investigation only looks into the complaints that are filed against him and not the ones he filed against Gica.

“Useless ra man. Bias na kaayo. Lisod na mobangga og ilaha… Gikapoy na pud ko, nawad-an na ko og gana,” he told The FREEMAN over the phone.

Garcia had filed complaints for usurpation of authority, malversation of public property, falsification of documents, and malversation of public funds against Gica which are still pending before the PB’s investigating committee.

While he is giving up on his complaints, Garcia urged the PB to act fairly on the pending complaints involving other elected officials.

“I don’t want to take head on the Governor (Hilario Davide III) kay maayo-ayo na man among relationship. Sa PB lang nga unta maghuna-huna sila sa katawhan nga nagpili nila, magtarong sila og trabaho,” he said.

The investigating committee, on the other hand, refuted these allegations of Garcia, including the committee’s alleged failure to look into his other complaints against Gica.

Board member Grecilda Sanchez, who co-chairs the investigating committee, said that, in fact, there are six cases involving elected officials awaiting final decision.

She, however, stressed that the details are confidential yet since these have to be approved by the members of the committee and then the legislative body.

“These (cases) are in the pipeline nga ang angay i-dismiss ug aksiyonan. (But) we will just have to wait until we finally get hold of the definite resolution as to the findings of the committee on complaints,” she said.

“We have several hearings on several complaints both kang Vice Mayor Gica and Mayor Garcia. They were filing cases against each other. (But) we are acting on (them),” she added.

In an earlier interview, Board member Arleigh Sitoy, chairman of the investigating committee, assured the committee’s objectivity in dealing with the complaint, saying that Garcia has nothing to worry about.  (FREEMAN)