‘Move Balili case hearings to Cebu’

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale’s camp is planning to file a petition before the Sandiganbayan to transfer to Cebu the hearings into the case filed against former governor and now third district Representative Gwen Garcia in relation to the controversial purchase of the 24-hectare Balili property.

“Mag-petition mi nga anhi dinhi kay naa man kadaghanan sa mga witnesses,” Magpale said.

Hearings into the case are set to begin January next year.

The vice governor was recently invited to testify against Garcia but she was unable to provide any significant information that can build up the case as she thought she was not the right person to answer some of the questions raised.

“Daghan man sila question nga dili mi katubag. Ingon ko that is for the treasurer or the accountant to answer. There were questions asked and I said maybe that is for the budget officer to answer. Mao ra to akong natubag ngadto, so they decided to come (over),” Magpale told reporters yesterday.

As a result, prosecutors decided to visit Cebu on November 26-28 to do case conference here instead.

Magpale was also asked regarding the status of the property.

“I told them it is, of course, filled up na and, in fact, the first time we visited it, it looked like a tennis court kay puti man ang gicover. But karon naa nay nitubo (tanom),” Magpale said, referring to the property.

Sought for comment, Garcia said Magpale now has the opportunity to tell the truth regarding the case.

“It will be an opportunity for her to truthfully testify that, as a provincial board member then, she was one of those who gave me the authority to purchase the Balili property. In effect, she too approved of the purchase,” Garcia told The FREEMAN in a text message.

Garcia is facing a criminal case before the Sandiganbayan over the purchase of the property in Naga for P98 million back in 2008, which was later on discovered that some portions of it were underwater.

Garcia also faced administrative charges over the same case but was absolved by the Court of Appeals because of the so-called Aguinaldo doctrine, a legal principle that clears officials having pending administrative case if they are reelected on the same position (although a recent jurisprudence has rendered this doctrine powerless).  Garcia was reelected as governor of Cebu province in 2010. (FREEMAN)