Malacañang rejects motion to suspend Cebu governor

The Office of the President has rejected the request of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to suspend Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on the grounds of lack of merit.

Malacañang considers that the allegations are not sufficient to justify the issuance of a precautionary suspension.

Garcia is directed to file her answer to the complaint. “…this Office hereby directs the respondent, Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia, to file with this Office, within 15 days of receipt of this order, her certified answer (not a motion to dismiss) to the complaint, with proof of her service of the complaint,” the order states.

The dispute between Rama and Garcia stems from a memorandum issued by the governor on February 27, 2024.

Garcia issued Memorandum No. 16-2024 calling for a halt to the construction of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on the grounds that “the bus terminals being built along Osmeña Boulevard right in front of the Capitol will negatively impact the cultural integrity of the building.”

The Capitol has been declared a National Historic Landmark by the National Historical Institute.

In his complaint, Rama Garcia accused of abuse of office, oppression, serious misconduct, corruption and violation of the code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees.

In a report on the Capitol’s news portal, Sugbo News, Garcia said the order was “essentially a cease and desist order directed at the project managers for the BRT bus stops along Osmeña Boulevard, a property owned by the Capitol that is marked as a street lot in the land registry.”