Sanchez siblings feud over drug use, money

Tension is brewing between two children of the late Cebu vice governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr.

Leodegreco Sanchez, who’s been in and out of drug rehabilitation, said his elder sister, Gricelda “Gigi” Sanchez-Zaballero, wants him arrested and has stripped him of his post in the family’s company.

He didn’t give details but said she’s been “harassing him.”

“Daghan kaayo siyag gibuhat nako nga nakalapas sa akong katungod. Iyang giabusahan ang iyang pagka-miyembro sa Liberal Party. (My sister has violated my rights. She used her being a member of the Liberal Party to harass me),” Leodegreco told Cebu Daily News.

Gigi, who’s running for a Provincial Board (PB) seat representing Cebu’s 5th district, said her brother hasn’t overcome his drug addiction and has been harassing the family to give him more money, after she reduced his allowance.

She said her mother and sisters wanted Grego to change his dangerous lifestyle.

“My brother is sick. He has been a drug dependent for 25 years. After our father died, he obtained an inheritance which he squandered in two years,” she said.

“He is still my brother. We still care for him. (But) he has to fix his life. He has to find himself,” she said.

Gricelda said Greco had resorted to harassing family memers and employees of the family-owned health drink business and even threatened to “throw a grenade” at her residence in Guadalupe, Cebu City.

She said she couldn’t continue giving her brother a large amount except for his daily food expenses.

Gricelda said she presently has custody of Leodegreco’s two children aged 18 and 11.

“He needs treatment. He’s sick. I dont want to pin him down. I still believe that he is capable of changing his life,” Gricelda said.

She said her 37-year-old brother underwent rehabilitation 18 times but hasn’t changed his ways and that drug rehabilitation centers in Cebu would no longer accept him.

“Before, everytime he steps out of the rehabilitation center, he is given money. Now, we’re giving him money just for food,” Gricelda said.

Leodegreco complained that his sister prohibits him from visiting their mother.

But she said her brother can visit their 78-year-old mother provided that he is calm and sober.

“There is a right time for it. There should be a police and a doctor when he should visit our mother,” she said.

Gricelda said there were times when his brother threatened to bomb their house.

Leodegreco said she stripped him of his vice president’s post in the family-owned Lacto Biotic Worldwide Corp.

“She wants me to undergo rehabilitation. I already came out of the rehab last year. I’m going back to the rehabilitation for after care,” he said.

Leodegreco said he could not understand his sister’s attitude towards him.

“I just want to ask Gigi why I was stripped off my rights in our business. My dad’s car was also transferred to her name,” he said.

Leodegreco said he’s praying that he and his sister can become close again.Leodegreco is the middle child of the late vice governor’s three children.

Gricelda is the eldest. In 2011, the late vice governor died of lung cancer.