CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez, Jr. has dared Director Pedro Noval, Jr. of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-7 to pursue charges against him for dereliction of duty for refusal to assume as acting governor.
“Go ahead, it’s your prerogative,” Sanchez said.
But Noval said, he is not interested to file charges against Sanchez and he is just citing what the law says about the matter.
Sanchez said that he refuses to assume as acting governor even if Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is in the United States as he might be charged for usurpation of authority because he has not been officially designated as such by the chief executive.
“Basin naa siya’y gibinlan nga lain. Ang administrator ba or anybody there,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez admitted that he presided the provincial board session last Monday after clearing the matter with the DILG-Central Office and the Civil Service Commission.
He believes that Garcia’s travel abroad does not strip him being the vice governor and presiding officer of the Provincial Board.
Noval instead challenged Sanchez to name the official in Manila, who rendered the opinion that his capacity as acting governor is just an add-on to his being a vice-governor and Sanchez can still preside over the session.
But Sanchez refused to name the official whom he talked to.
Sanchez accused Noval of being biased to Garcia, which the regional director denied.
Noval said that he keeps his hands off the bickering of the two top Capitol officials.
Garcia left for California last Sunday for the Governors Global Climate Summit 3 without appointing Sanchez as acting governor. She is expected to be back home on Friday.
Garcia travelled abroad many times without officially delegating her function to Sanchez.
Noval reportedly reminded Sanchez to revisit and read Section 46 of the Local Government Code which states that “the vice governor...or the highest ranking Sangguniang member, as the case may be, shall have the right to assume the powers, duties, and functions of the said office of the said local chief executive, subject to the limitations...”
Noval said that Sanchez could automatically assume as acting governor even without a memorandum coming from the Office of the Governor considering that the travel of the governor is already outside the country.
Garcia informed the entire Sangguniang Panlalawigan about her trip through a communication she sent to SP Secretary Aniceta Pasaylo.
Noval said on the basis of such communication is enough for Sanchez to assume as acting governor.
There is, however, no need for the constituents to worry much as it seems the absence of an acting governor has not affected the operations of the office of the governor.
Capitol spokesperson Rory Jon Sepulveda said that administratively, the provincial government is running smoothly as day-to-day operations are taken care of by the department heads under the administrative baton of the Provincial Administrator.
“Fortunately, no pressing matters or issues needing executive action have arisen. If it comes, it will be referred to the acting governor,” Sepulveda said.
It was Sepulveda who also had said that aside from dereliction of duty, the acting governor could also be charged for usurpation of authority for continuing to function being the vice governor even he is the acting governor. — /NLQ (THE FREEMAN)