Governor Garcia sees suspension as a tactic to end her term early
Outgoing Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia holds a press briefing at the Capitol on May 21 to talk about her suspension. | Sugbo News via Pinky Rondina
CEBU, Philippines — Outgoing Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia believes the preventive suspension orders filed against her are being deliberately timed to create political pressure and sway outcomes.
“[This] continues to be somehow manipulated to create some desired effect,” Garcia said during a press conference on May 21.
Many expected Garcia to comment on her election loss to Governor-elect Pamela Baricuatro, but she chose not to address it for now.
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“There will be a time for that. We will talk about the elections and its results at another time,” Garcia said.
Instead, the governor, joined by her legal counsel, discussed the suspension order based on a complaint filed by Moises Garcia Deiparine.
Deiparine accused Garcia of grave abuse of authority, gross misconduct, serious dishonesty, negligence, and conduct prejudicial to the public interest.
The complaint claims Garcia violated the Code of Conduct when she issued a special permit to Shalom Construction Inc. in May 2024 without an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) or Certificate of Non-Coverage (CNC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The suspension order, signed by Ombudsman Samuel Martires, was dated April 23.
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Irregularities
Garcia then criticized what she called irregularities in the process and pointed out how quickly the complaint moved through legal channels.
According to Garcia, Deiparine initially said the complaint was filed on April 19, but documents from the suspension order show it was actually filed and sworn on April 21.
“And upon scrutiny of the complaint, we saw that this complaint was in fact subscribed and sworn to on the 21st of April by Atty. Flornelio Ediza in Cebu City,” Garcia said.
Just two days later, on April 23, the Ombudsman signed the suspension order.
“He must have a private jet,” Garcia remarked, referring to the fast processing time.
“This has to make the Guinness Book of Records for the fastest complaint filed and resolved,” she added.
Garcia suspects the timing was not a coincidence.
She believes her cease-and-desist order against Apo Land and Quarry Corp. (ALQC) on March 25 may have triggered the complaint.
“The cease and desist order was for 30 days. It took effect on the 1st of March, 2025. So 30 days later, you do the math. That’s more or less the 24th of April,” Garcia shared.
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“Somebody wanted me out so that I would not issue another cease and desist order,” she added.Garcia noted that the order expired on April 24—the day after the suspension order was signed.
Powerful interests involved
She believes this was timed to stop her from issuing further orders and hints that powerful interests may be involved.
Garcia mentioned the deadly 2018 Naga City landslide and suggested the Ombudsman may have been misled into thinking her special permit was connected to a similar quarrying activity.
Her legal team also revealed a second complaint filed on May 19, this time by a certain Michelle R. Osmeña.
This complaint also relates to the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project—an issue previously raised by former Mayor Mike Rama in a complaint to the Office of the President against Garcia.
However, Garcia’s legal team said the Office of the President already resolved and dismissed that matter with finality on October 22, 2024.
“Given the fact that the Office of the President has already dismissed the case, and since this case actually involves the same matters alleged in the Office of the President, same grounds in terms of authority, oppression, it could have been dismissed more appropriately by the Office of the Ombudsman already,” Lawyer Elaine Mae Bathan said.
They also noted that the new complaint was dated October 22, 2024—the same day the Office of the President issued its final decision. Yet Garcia only received the notice to respond in May 2025, seven months later.
Fake IDs
More questions were raised about the identity of the complainant, Michelle R. Osmeña. The only address listed was “Guadalupe, Cebu City,” which Garcia noted is vague and includes over 60,000 residents.
The legal team also said the IDs submitted were fake.
“Upon checking, even the series number itself is not a series used by the Philippine Postal Office and her ID that is stated there does not actually exist. So it’s fictitious. We are certain that it is a fictitious ID,” Lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda said.
One postal ID was confirmed as fake, while the driver’s license submitted belonged to a Chinese national named Zhang Yilang, as shown in a photo of a male individual.
“We’re presenting this to you to just show these irregularities are present further backtracing our belief that these are all orchestrated,” Sepulveda said, claiming the legal actions are part of a bigger plan to remove Garcia from office before her term officially ends on June 30.
Photo: Outgoing Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia held her first presscon after the midterm elec
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