BALANGA CITY – Embattled Gov. Enrique “Tet” Garcia has changed his mind and announced that he will not step down from the Capitol voluntarily until Wednesday.
“Because of the delay in the hearing of my petition in the Court of Appeals due to two inhibitions made by the justices, I am extending my self-imposed deadline to Wednesday next week,” Garcia said to a group of local journalists.
Garcia with three other officials have filed with the Appellate Court on November 10 a petition for certiorari, prohibition and mandamus with urgent prayer for the issuance of a temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction to stop the serving of a six-month suspension order by the Ombudsman.
The petition had been raffled twice and was scheduled to be raffled again this Thursday morning due to two inhibitions of the justices of the Court of Appeals.
“Considering the extreme urgency to pass upon the application for the issuance of a temporary restraining order in this case to end the volatile situation in Bataan due to the threatened implementation of the said suspension order anytime, which the people of Bataan have successfully thwarted so far, the undersigned is respectfully requesting that the justices of the division to whom the said Petition will be raffled today be asked if they will also inhibit,” Garcia said in his two-page letter dated November 13 to CA Presiding Justice Conrado Vasquez, Jr.
“Should any of the justices concerned decide to inhibit also, the undersigned is respectfully requesting that a re-raffle be held also this morning (Thursday) to avoid further delay in the consideration of said Petition,” the governor continued with his letter.
Garcia also charged Region 3 director Renato Brion of the Department of the Interior and Local Government for being a liar.
“Si Brion ang may kasalanan at niloko niya sina Vice-Gov. Serafin Roman at Provincial Board Member Efren Pascual, Jr. na bakante na ang puwesto ng governor kaya nanumpa ang dalawa sa tungkulin bilang gubernador at Bise Gubernador,” he said.
Roman and Pascual took their oath of office with Brion last Tuesday. But the two have not assumed their positions saying that “the situation at the Bataan capitol be calmed down first.”
About 2,000 people on Thursday barricaded with some dump trucks and other vehicles at the main entrance and exit points of the three-hectare capitol grounds.
“Malaki ang kasalanan ni Brion ng DILG kaya inihahanda namin ang kaso laban sa kanya,” Garcia said.
The governor also said he understands the situation of the President. “Wala na siyang control kay Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez sa nangyayaring ito at wala akong sama ng loob sa ating Pangulo,” Garcia said.
On the fertilizer scam where his name was mentioned as one of the recipients of P728 million from former Agriculture undersecretary Joc Joc Bolante, Garcia denied of having received any single centavo.
