DILG to continue hearing case Greg filed vs Gwen

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Interior and Local Government will continue the formal investigation of the case filed by late vice governor Gregorio Sanchez, Jr. against Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on July 25 to 28 at the DILG regional office in Cebu City.

DILG Legal Services Director III Jesus Doque IV sent a telegram to Sanchez’s daughter, Engr. Grecilda Sanchez Zaballero, that the continuation of the formal investigation of O.P. Case 10-K-504 has been scheduled on July 25 at 3 p.m. and on July 26 to 28, starting at 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Garcia’s counsel, Rory Jon Sepulveda, said they will ask to reschedule the hearing because their lead counsel, Ma. Esperanza Christina Garcia-Codilla Frasco, is out of the country on those dates.

When the hearing was suspended last June 9, Frasco manifested before DILG Investigation Officer Ranny Spencer-Palisok that she will not be available to attend the hearing from July 20 to July 29 because she will be out of the country.

During the supposed last day of the hearing, Zaballero informed Palisok that she has terminated the services of his father’s counsel, Oliveros Kintanar, and asked to reschedule the hearing until she can find other lawyers.

Zaballero already hired lawyers Joseph Randi Torregosa, Waldemar Gravador and Reynato Galeon to handle the case for usurpation and grave abuse of authority against Garcia.

Also included in the team is lawyer Myrna Limbaga who appeared once with Kintanar in the previous hearing.

Meanwhile, Zaballero told reporters that she had no idea that Kintanar and whistleblower Crisologo Saavedra filed motion for intervention before the DILG not until it came out in the media.

Zaballero said Kintanar and Saavedra could file another case because the hearing being conducted by DILG is the case filed by her father and not by one of them.

“Since they did not consult me, I would feel nga ila ila ra bitaw na,” Zaballero said.

She said that since she terminated the services of Kintanar, she no longer has communication with him.

Saavedra was the last witness Kintanar has presented but was not done with the cross examination by Sepulveda when the hearing was suspended.

Sanchez who died on April 29 this year earlier, filed the complaint for acts of usurpation against Garcia and other Capitol officials after he was no longer allowed to appoint his consultants and employees. (FREEMAN)