Deputy Speaker Garcia on dismissal order: Ombudsman ‘singled me out’

Cebu Rep. and House Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia. (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

House Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia suspects the timing of the Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales’ order to dismiss her from office.

The Office of the Ombudsman ordered Garcia’s dismissal on Monday over her allegedly anomalous P98.9 million purchase a lot for a housing project. The property turned out to be largely under water.

“The timing is rather suspect. It does seem as though as the Ombudsman has singled me out,” Garcia said in an interview few hours after the announcement of her dismissal came.

READ: House Deputy Speaker sacked over purchase of P98M underwater property

The Cebu third district representative said this could be because she was “very active” in the impeachment hearings against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

The announcement of her dismissal came as Garcia was grilling a resource person at the House deliberation on Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s impeachment.

“An act that was done when I was still governor several years ago, you’d rather wonder whether this was purposely done. As you saw, I’m very active in this impeachment hearing against Chief Justice Sereno,” Garcia said.

“Be that as it may, I leave it to the leadership, to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, on his decision as regards to that dismissal order,” she said.

The Office of the Ombudsman has directed Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to implement the dismissal order, which carries the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, cancellation of eligibility, and forfeiture of retirement benefits.

Despite the dismissal, an unfazed Garcia said she would continue to be active in Sereno’s impeachment proceedings at the House.

“I will continue to work as hard as I can. It is my duty as elected by my constituents in the third district precisely to represent them and represent their sentiments. I will continue to be active in the impeachment hearing, ongoing against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno,” she said. /je