Rep. Pablo Garcia slams suspension order on daughter Gwen

Suspended Cebu Gov Gwen Garcia CDN PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Cebu Representative Pablo Garcia on Wednesday assailed the suspension of his daughter, suspended Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, as politically motivated.

In a privilege speech, the legislator called the authorities’ moves to take control of the governor’s office “a gross insult” to his daughter’s Cebuano supporters.

He said that the manner by which lawmen padlocked Garcia’s office, where she had earlier been holed up in protest, had been “arrogant, brutal and barbaric.”

He said that it was “very strange that there are similar political developments in other places in the country” and said that it was clear that politics was the root of his daughter’s suspension–Cebu being the most populous in the Philippines with its 4.1 million residents.

“The Cebuano vote is crucial in any national election,” he said, adding that the governor’s suspension was a hit against the United Nationalist Alliance of which she is a member.

UNA is going against President Benigno Aquino III’s Liberal Party in the midterm elections.

“Please remember that while one political party–the Liberal Party–insists in claiming that the President is exclusively its very own, he is also our President,” said Garcia.

“After the election, he now belongs to the entire Filipino people,” he said.

Cebu Representative Tomas Osmena however defended the government’s move to suspend the Cebu governor, saying it was “unfair” that the recommendations of the late (Interior) Secretary (Jesse) Robredo were being called politically motivated.