Gwen Garcia won’t return to office; will complain to Cebuanos about being bullied

DYNASTY IN MOTION Suspended Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia is in fighting mode as she addresses the people of Oslob town to launch a briefing center for whaleshark watchers. She earlier left the Cebu Capitol where she had been holed up since Dec. 19, 2012. She was joined in this out-of-town sortie by her brother, Rep. Pablo John Garcia, who is running for governor and their father, Rep. Pablo Garcia. TONEE DESPOJO / CEBU DAILY NEWS

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Suspended Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia will not force her way back to her office at the provincial capitol after it was padlocked less than 24 hours after she sneaked out on Tuesday.

She said she plans instead to go around the towns and cities in the province in line with the wishes of the people who want to see her and to report to them how she was being bullied by acting Gov. Agnes Magpale and the Liberal Party.

But Magpale said Garcia might just be looking for a graceful exit. She pointed out that Garcia had all the time to return to the capitol when she left her office at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday. But she didn’t and instead went to Oslob town to inaugurate the briefing center of the Oslob Whale Watching program.

Magpale said they decided to padlock her office at 2 p.m. Wednesday, more than 16 hours after Garcia left.

“My feeling is she wanted to leave (the provincial capitol) because she was feeling tired (of staying inside the office),” she said.

She said she would transfer to Garcia’s office when it is cleared of the suspended official’s personal belongings. She would then give up the office of the vice governor to acting Vice Gov. Julian Daan.

Magpale said an inventory was being conducted to determine which items belonged to the province and which belonged to Garcia. All personal belongings of Garcia would be returned to her.

Garcia, however, denied that she was merely looking for a graceful exit, saying she had plans to return to her office until she learned that Magpale had already closed it down.

She said she left her office to answer to the “clamor” of the people who wanted to see her. Instead, Magpale was “ungraceful” and closed her office.

“This is a political nightmare for them, leading to their political suicide,” said Garcia

Garcia said she has since decided to spend the rest of her time visiting the various towns and cities of the province.

On Thursday, Garcia continued with her countryside jaunts. She was in the public market of Barangay (village) Mantalongon in Barili town, 61 km southwest of Cebu City, where she held a news conference. From Barili, her hometown, she was to proceed to Naga town.

Garcia went to Barili to meet and greet the people at the Mantalongon Livestock Market.

Garcia, her mother, retired judge Esperanza Garcia, and brothers Rep. Pablo John Garcia and Byron Garcia stayed under the two large tents erected in front of the market. There they talked to people and heard their statements of support. Garcia also went around, shaking hands.

Asked if she had any regrets, Garcia replied: “I have no regrets. How about them? Are they sorry for what they are doing now, because it’s as if they have thrown me into the water like a turtle?”