Belmonte: Garcia case a simple admin case, not political harassment

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte ARNOLD ALMACEN

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Thursday maintained that the Liberal Party was not harassing suspended Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

In a chance interview with reporters at the House of Representatives, he said that it was likely that those insinuating that the ruling party was harassing Garcia just sought to “inject politics into a simple administrative case.”

The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) led by Vice President Jejomar Binay has recently slammed the order to suspend Garcia, saying that the LP was abusing its power as the ruling party and was harassing Garcia.

But Belmonte urged them to instead allow the justice system to resolve the issue, citing Garcia’s petition for review with prayer for the issuance of a temporary restraining order pending before the Court of Appeals.

“I don’t think we in Congress are in any way involved there and despite the fact that I’m friends with Cebu Representative Pablo John Garcia (the younger brother of the suspended governor), I myself just want to let the course of justice do its job,” he said.

“The case is pending with the CA, I’m sure the CA will be mindful of the fact that the attention is there and will speed up its deliberations. I think that there is no need for all that tension,” added Belmonte.

He further defended President Benigno Aquino III whom he said was only “trying to enforce a decision. It is no longer in his hands but in those of the authorities.”

“The governor is insisting to the extent that she is stating put in her office and like all dramas, things come to an end. I just hope that it will be something that can be accepted by everybody,” Belmonte said.