For usurpation of authority: Sanchez raps Gwen at CSC

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez, Jr. filed administrative complaint against Governor Gwendolyn Garcia before the Civil Service Commission for alleged illegal transfer of funds for salaries and wages of his office with malicious intent to usurp his appointing power.

Sanchez, in his complaint addressed to CSC Chairman Francisco Duque III, said that his main concern is the removal of salaries and wages for casual and contractual employees of his office as well as those of the Provincial Board Members in the legislative budget.

Sanchez told Duque that he was shocked to learn last November 5 that the budget for his office is not the same budget he prepared, recommended and submitted to the office of the Provincial Budget Officer.

"I returned the aforesaid budget to the Provincial Governor's Office because it was irregular, malicious, and illegal," Sanchez said. 

The office of the vice-governor has a P45.5 million budget for the current year, but this was reduced to P18 million in the proposed budget for next year.

PB offices currently have P8 million each, but these have been slashed to P2.4 million.

"The amount was transferred from vice-governor's office and Sangguniang Panlalawigan budgets to the Executive Budget with the intention to usurp the power of the vice-governor to appoint all existing VGO and SP employees," Sanchez said.

Sanchez asked the CSC to order Garcia and Provincial Budget Officer Emme Gingoyon to restore the 2010 funding of his office and each PB in next year's budget.

He also briefed the CSC chairman that sometime in the middle of 2009, when he parted from the administration party, Garcia started harassing him. He said that he tried to stop the "arbitrary and tyrannical acts through written requests, pointing out her persecutions."

But Sanchez said he was disappointed when the regional offices of CSC and the Department of Interior and Local Government did not take action on his complaints.

The camp of Gov. Garcia retorted, "Again, he is entitled to avail of any and all remedies to his imagined violated rights. At best, this can unmask the folly of his cause.

"At worst, this would just be a waste of time, efforts and resources arising out of one man's misplaced and foolish pride," Capitol spokesperson Rory Jon Sepulveda said.

Sanchez has already filed petition before the DILG to seek reprieve from what he called as "acts of usurpation" allegedly perpetrated by Garcia and other Capitol officials.

Respondents of the said petition include provincial legal officer Marino Martinquilla, provincial administrator Eduardo Habin, treasurer Roy Salubre, assistant treasurer Emmanuel Guial and human resource management officer Noli Vincent Valencia.

Sanchez asked DILG to order the respondents to cease and desist from committing the alleged "acts of usurpation," one of which is the arbitrary move of Garcia in 2007 of taking over the signing of the appointments of 18 contractual employees and 39 casual employees assigned to the Office of the Vice Governor.

Sanchez also complained about the issuance of a cease and desist memorandum against the employees. Citing the Local Government Code of 1991, Garcia claimed earlier stood by her "right" to appoint all officials and employees whose salaries and wages are wholly or mainly paid out of provincial funds while Sanchez also claimed the right.

Garcia's stopping the publication of the "Legislative Gavel," the newsletter of the Provincial Board, was also raised by Sanchez to DILG. Garcia said that it (Legislative Gavel) is duplicating the "Sugbo" magazine, which is under the Office of the Governor. But Sanchez insists the two publications are "very different" because they reflect "two very different and separate departments."

Furthermore, Sanchez complained about Garcia's hiring of consultants without authority from the Provincial Board.

Sanchez also raised to the 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.

In his petition, Sanchez alleged that "Garcia, with the connivance of the rest of the respondents, the undersigned was deprived and stripped of his power and authority bestowed on him by law and rendered the second highest of the province inutile and ineffective in serving his constituents." - /NLQ (FREEMAN)