Ex-GSIS chief’s case against auditors junked

The Cebu City trial court dismissed the charges filed by former Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) president and general manager Winston Garcia against four auditors of the Commission on Audit (COA).

Both parties agreed to settle the issues.

“Plaintiff and defendants, by and through their respective counsel, to this honorable court, jointly and respectfully move to dismiss the complaint and countercalim on the ground that the plaintiff and the defendants have amicably settled the case,” the parties said.

Regional Trial Court Judge James Stewart Ramon Himalaloan granted the requests made by the parties.

Garcia, the brother of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn, filed a damage suit in 2005 against COA personnel for its report containing findings which indicated that he and other GSIS officials violated the Anti-Graft Law.

The COA cited several anomalies in GSIS spending during an audit in 2004.

The defendants include Raquel Habitan, Lenor Boado, Joel Estolatan, Rhoda Pilena, Alexander Juliano and Rosalinda Salvador.

Garcia claimed that the respondents besmirched his reputation and caused him social humiliation after the state auditors released its financial audit on several GSIS projects. /Ador Vincent S. Mayol