3-day marathon hearing on Sanchez's complaint starts

CEBU, Philippines - Officials of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Central Office are in Cebu today to conduct preliminary conference and formal investigation of the complaint filed by the late vice governor Gregorio Sanchez, Jr. against Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and other Capitol officials.

The DILG Legal Service Division set a three-day marathon hearing on the petition Sanchez filed against “acts of usurpations” allegedly done by the governor and other Capitol officials.

The hearing will start at 2:00 in the afternoon today and the whole day of June 7 to 9, 2011 at the DILG regional office in Sudlon-Lahug, Cebu City.

DILG-7 Director Pedro Noval, Jr. had no idea who the team members from Manila are, only that they are from the legal service division.

DILG Legal Service Director III Jesus Doque IV signed the invitation letter sent to the parties.

Sanchez’s daughter, Engr. Grecilda Zaballero, earlier said attending the said hearing would be their family activity marking the 40th day of the death of her father, aside from a mass at the Mactan Memorial Garden.

Zaballero believes that the hearing is the offshoot of their talk with President Benigno Aquino III during the wake, wherein she gave the President documents attached in the petition.

The other respondents are Provincial Legal Officer Marino Martinquilla, Provincial Administrator Eduardo Habin, Provincial Treasurer Roy Salubre, Assistant Treasurer Emmanuel Guial and Human Resource Management Officer Noli Vincent Valencia.

Sanchez had asked DILG to order the respondents to cease and desist from committing the alleged “acts of usurpations,” one of which was the governor’s move in 2007 to sign the appointments of 18 contractual employees and 39 casual employees assigned at the Office of the Vice Governor.

Sanchez also complained against the issuance of a cease and desist memorandum against the employees. 

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

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.

Sanchez said the move topped all encroachments of legislative powers by the governor.

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.

Furthermore, Sanchez complained against the governor’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. — (FREEMAN)