SECRETARY Jesse Robredo of the Department of Interior and Local Government assured this office would resolve the usurpation of authority case against Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia soon.
However, he could not give a definite answer when reporters asked if the case would be resolved before the year ends.
Robredo was in Cebu to attend the general assembly of the League of the Municipalities in the Philippines (LMP) at the Cebu International Convetion Center.
He said the case is still pending with the legal department and he has yet to check its status.
“I really can’t tell but I do hope that they will expeditiously resolve it. Mahirap po ‘yung mga kasong nakabinbin,” he told reporters.
The hearings of the case wrapped up last Sept. 1.
The camps of the late Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez through his daughter, Gigi Zaballero and Garcia presented their witnesses before the DILG in Central Visayas.
They were given time to submit their formal offer of exhibits and memorandum before the case will be submitted for resolution.
In the Aug. 31 hearing, the governor’s daughter and lead counsel Cristina Codilla-Frasco presented as witnesses Provincial Administrator Eduardo Habin; Noli Valencia, head of the Provincial Human Resource Office; Provincial Attorney Marino Martinquilla and Board Member Peter John Calderon.
Calderon, a lawyer, testified that there was nothing wrong with allowing the governor to control the budget for the Sanggunian Panlalawigan. /Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus