Four lawyers will be acting as the legal counsels in the “usurpation” case filed by the late Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez against Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia that is pending for formal investigation at the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Grecylda “Gigi” Sanchez-Zaballero, who pursued the case after his father died, said she met with the lawyers last Saturday to discuss the issues to be resolved in the case.
Zaballero however refused to give the names of the lawyers.
She however said that all the lawyers were Cebuanos.
She will send a formal communication to DILG Central Office to inform them on the new lawyers who will handle the case.
Their formal appearances will be announced on June 28.
The administrative hearing of the usurpation case was rescheduled after Zaballero terminated the services of her lead counsel, lawyer Oliveros Kintanar, over differences in handling the case.
The services of two lawyers Myrna Limbaga and Ana Marie Militante, who acted as corroborating counsels during the preliminary conference hearing, will now act as researchers for the case.
Limbaga ang Militante was part of the legal team assisting lawyer Kintanar before he was dropped by Zaballero.
Zaballero earlier said that they needed a lead counsel who could hold his or her own against Capitol lawyers in the marathon hearings of the Department of Interior and Local Government.
The late vice governor Sanchez accused Governor Garcia of “accroachment” or usurpation of legislative power and grave misconduct for drastically reducing the budget of the vice governor’s office and his discretionary funds, along with other actions allegedly intended to “harass” him.
Zaballero was given three weeks by DILG to find new lawyers to represent her.
Zaballero also said that four incumbent vice governors were helping her in the case.
Zaballero told Cebu Daily News that she had sought the assistance of these four vice governors to help her specifically on matters of the functions of the vice governor.
Zaballero said that she really needed their knowledge and expertise on how the office of the vice governor ran.
“Ang makasabot ani ang mga incumbent ra gyud (Those who can understand this are the incumbent vice governors),” she said.
She, however, refused to name the vice governors.
She also asked for certified true copies of documents like the annual budget from Provincial Secretary, Anecita Pasaylo.
“I sent a letter to Mrs. Pasaylo asking for certified true copies of the approved budget and all the other documents will follow. These are public documents,” Zaballero said.
Meanwhile, Kintanar in a text message said that he felt “deprived” after his services as legal counsel were terminated by Gigi.
“It is unfortunate that I was deprived to continue appearing in the DILG case. The legal strategy I prepared to ensure victory was gone with the wind,” Kintanar said.
“Sayang the case is a simple battle of documentary evidence and there was no way nga mapildi,” Kintanar added. /Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus