“CAN you show us a copy of the plantilla signed by the governor?”
With questions like these, the daughter-lawyer of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday started probing claims that the governor had “usurped” powers of the late Vice Gregorio Sanchez Jr. when he was still alive.
For over an hour, Sanchez’s daughter Grecylda “Gigi” Zaballaero was cross-examined as a witness in the ongoing investigation of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) as documents were marked as exhibits.
It was a calm atmosphere in the DILG office in Sudlon, Cebu City, as family members of both camps eagerly followed the proceedings, which began 2 p.m.
The governor’s lead counsel Christina Codilla-Frasco led the cross-examination.
Two lists of casual employees were presented by by Zaballero, who filed on Monday a supplemental affidavit to support her father’s administrative complaint, which was originally filed with the Office of the President last year.
One plantilla showed casual employees in the office of the vice governor; the other showed casual employees of the Provincial Board.
Comparing both documents, Frasco pointed out that each list had different officials as the “appointing authority.”
Governor Garcia was the “appointing authority” of casuals in the office of the vice governor.
The late Sanchez was the one who appointed casuals of the Capitol legislature.
The questioning sought to contest Zaballero’s claim in her affidavit that “Governor Garcia was the one making appointments of contractual and casual employees of the Office of the Vice Governor of Cebu.”
“There is no casual employee assigned for the vice governor that is signed by the vice governor,” said Zaballero.
Budget cuts in the vice governor’s office were covered by a provincial ordinance passed on mass motion by the PB, said Zaballero’s lead counsel, Randi Joseph Torregosa.
Other allegations—that vehicles and police security escorts were withdrawn from vice governor Sanchez’s office to “harass” him—are being looked into.
Frasco showed a document that indicated the policemen were not working for the provincial government.
Zaballero said she will produce later a list of personnel in her father’s office whose overtime claims were not paid.
The hearing resumes today with testimonies of reporters from different Cebu dailies who were sent subpoenas to appear.