Corona lawyer to represent suspended Cebu governor

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Suspended Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has picked a seasoned lawyer to lead oral arguments on her petition for review with prayer for temporary restraining order/status quo ante set by the Court of Appeals (CA) on Jan. 10.

Lawyer Tranquil Salvador III, lawyer of former chief justice Renato Corona and spokesman for the defense during the latter’s trial before the Senate impeachment court, met Garcia yesterday at the capitol to discuss legal points of the case.

Present at the meeting were the governor’s father, Deputy Speaker Pablo Garcia, her brother, One Cebu gubernatorial candidate and third district Rep. Pablo John Garcia, and her daughter, lawyer Ma. Esperanza Christina Garcia Frasco.

After the closed-door meeting, Salvador told reporters that they are prepared and have strong oral arguments on Garcia’s case before the CA.

Salvador and Frasco both belong to the Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De los Angeles law office as line partner and associate partner, respectively.

Governor Garcia said that during the discussion, her father and brother, both lawyers, also shared their inputs. Frasco, on the other hand, would be part of the legal team.

“I trust my lawyers and I trust the law firm itself, it has an impeccable reputation. If you talk about preparation, I think they go even beyond, they walk that extra mile,” Garcia said, adding that prayer is the most important.

Although she did not personally receive the suspension order from Malacañang, Garcia is deemed suspended as of Dec. 19, 2012 when the order was served by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, which then administered the oath of office to Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale as acting governor.

The Garcias questioned the legality of the suspension, prompting her to stay in her office since Dec. 19 and brought the matter to the CA.

The case stemmed from an administrative complaint for alleged encroachment of legislative powers, grave misconduct and abuse of authority filed by the late vice governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr. on Nov. 8, 2010 before the Office of the President.

The DILG proceeded with the formal investigation even after the death of Sanchez in April 2011.

Sanchez was represented by his lawyers, with the assistance of his daughter, engineer Grecilda Sanchez, while Frasco was the lead counsel of her mother.

On July 31, 2012, the report of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo dated July 26, 2012 was forwarded to the Office of the President. It found Garcia guilty of grave abuse of authority and recommended a penalty of six-month suspension.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. rendered the suspension order against the governor last Dec. 17, and the order was served two days later.