Gov’t lawyers buck Gwen Garcia’s bid to travel

Cebu Rep. Gwen Garcia CDN FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—State prosecutors have opposed the request to travel to China by Cebu Rep. Gwen Garcia on the grounds she was not specifically invited and the trip was unnecessary.

In a six-page opposition filed in the Sandiganbayan antigraft court’s Second Division, prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman asked that her request be denied.

Garcia had not been specifically invited, therefore, her presence in China was not indispensable, they said.

Garcia, former Cebu governor, is facing graft charges stemming from the provincial government’s purchase of 24.7 hectares of beachfront property in 2008 for P98.93 million but which turned out be mostly underwater.

She was arraigned in March last year and has denied allegations of any impropriety in the deal.

Earlier, she posted a travel bond of P270,000 with the court to cover a trip to Arizona, USA, from April 8 to 30 this year. She asked that the court consider the bond again for her China trip.

The prosecutors, however, said that while an accused may be granted permission to travel by the court, this should not be treated as a routine procedure because an indictment for a criminal offense means a defendant’s right to travel is restricted.

“Accused has not shown that she is included in the list of invited participants and that her presence in the conference is indispensable,” the government lawyers said.

“It is incumbent upon the accused to show that her travel is necessary and there are compelling reasons for this honorable court to allow her,” it added.

Garcia, in her motion to travel filed on April 22, said she was part of a delegation of 12 Philippine congresswomen going to China from May 8 to 18.

The prosecutors pointed out the invitation from the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was addressed only to Pangasinan Rep. Gina de Venecia.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. granted a travel authority to De Venecia, Garcia and Representatives Rosenda Ann Ocampo (Manila), Zenaida Angping (Manila), Belma Cabilao (Zamboanga Sibugay), Susan Yap (Tarlac), Josephine Sato (Occidental Mindoro), Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman (PL-Anak Mindanao), Marie Anne Pernes (Siquijor), Elisa Kho (Masbate), Juliette Uy (Misamis Oriental) and Maria Lourdes Acosta-Alba (Bukidnon).

De Venecia said the House leadership endorsed the trip since it would not entail any expenses for the chamber.—Cynthia D. Balana