PJ Garcia calls critic’s attempt to visit his house ‘uncivilized’

Cebu 3rd district representative and One Cebu gubernatorial bet Pablo John Garcia lambasted the attempt of a critic to enter his village to see his residence up close in barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.

Garcia said this was tantamound to trespassing.

In a text message to Cebu Daily News, Garcia said the attempt last Wednesday was ‘uncivilized behavior’.

Security guards at the entrance of the village stopped the group led by Roberto Letaba, leader of an urban poor group, from entering.

“It was the kind of uncivilized behavior one would expect from henchmen of the other side. I have children whose privacy and security not only I, but all of us, have a duty to protect,” Garcia said

Letaba, who described himself as a member of the Volunteers for Junjun Davide, earlier wrote the the Office of the Ombudsman – Visayas asking for a lifestyle check to be made on the lawmaker. He questioning how Garcia could afford his new residence and cited alleged discrepancies in the income stated in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

In an earlier interview, Garcia said his wife secured a P10 million bank loan in 2008 to build the house.

Letaba has been challenging Garcia to explain his SALN, copies of which Letaba attached to the complaint.

Garcia’s SALN indicated that from P2.4 million in 2007, his cash holdings increased to P12 million in 2009 and then decreased to P2.5 million in 2011. He said they wanted to know how he was able to obtain such amount considering that in the year 2001-2002, he was bankrupt.

But Garcia said the increase in his cash position was attributed to the loan he took out in 2008.

“Please look at 2008. That’s the year I took out a P10 milion loan. The P10 million I received from the bank as a loan was reflected under cash on hand because it was deposited in my account. That’s the reason for the increase,” he told CDN.

Garcia said he was ready to submit any documents needed by the Ombudsman.

Davide, LP Cebu chairman, has denied any hand in the actions Letaba, president of an informal settlers group in sitio Philcadan in barangay Banilad, Mandaue City.

Letaba is the same person who asked the Ombudsman to do a lifestyle check on Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, who is seeking reelection under the Liberal Party.