Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. | CDN 2016 FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Will Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia face another round of legal battle?
Garcia on Tuesday, May 25, revealed that she received information alleging that Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra may take legal action against her over the Capitol’s decision to sway away from the whole-of-nation approach in swabbing Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
She said it was Marinduque governor and League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) President Presbitero Jose Velasco Jr. who informed her through a text message.
“Kuno (They said), Secretary Harry Roque, and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra are considering taking legal actions against me. That’s in the text. They will take legal actions against me. Ako lang pangutana (My only question is) what crime did I commit? What law did I violate?” Garcia said.
Garcia also flashed during her virtual press briefer the message Velasco sent to her, which stated that he got the information from Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año.
It read: “He (Año) said IATF is firm that reso 114 should be strictly complied. They are worried about transmission of variants. He said Sec Harry and Meynard Guevarra is considering legal action against you.”
But Garcia added that she did not believe Roque will be filing cases against her.
“I know Secretary Roque. He has a very sharp legal mind. I doubt, in fact, if he is planning to institute legal actions,” she said.
ROFs and OFWs arriving at Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) will be swabbed upon arrival. The rest of the country required them to be swabbed only on the 7th day since their arrival.
The governor on Tuesday reiterated that she did not violate any laws over the Capitol’s own swabbing policy, and once again invoked Section 105 of the Local Government Code.
“I am not defiant. Wala koy balaod gisupak gani ang balaod… IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) are guidelines…It is not IATF laws,” explained Garcia. /rcg
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