Magpale: Gov’s office to re-open with or without Gwen

The Governor’s Office that has been padlocked since  Jan. 30 will be opened on June 19 if suspended Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia doesn’t report for work on that date.

Acting Cebu Gov. Agnes Magpale said this but added that another suspension order on Garcia may be forthcoming.

“I’ll wait on June 18. If there’s no other suspension order, we will have to open the governor’s office,” she said.

Magpale said if a suspension order comes down, they will get a locksmith to unlock the Governor’s Office and call a representative from Garcia’s camp as witness.

She said it will take time to restore the office because it had been six months since its power and water supply was last used.

The office was padlocked to prevent Garcia from continuing a four-week stay-in protest.

If Garcia returns she has the key to open the governor’s office. “We don’t even have the key to the room,” Magpale said.

Assorted furniture, paintings and other personal belongings of Garcia are still stored in the east wing office of the Capitol.

The Garcia camp is monitoring the issuance of another suspension order either by the Palace or by the Ombudsman which is prosecuting Garcia and seven other people for the alleged irregular P98.9 million Balili land purchase case in the Sandiganbayan.

Magpale said she met again with the transition team for the Capitol’s turnover to Gov.-elect Hilario “Junjun” Davide III.

The Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) formerly headed by Engr. Adolfo Quiroga has the heaviest paperwork.

“Quiroga resigned so his office has a backlog of office work to finish,” Magpale told reporters.  Davide will assume office on July 1. Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos