CEBU CITY — House Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia on Monday said the order of the Office of the Ombudsman for her dismissal from the service was a “blatant attempt” to stop the looming impeachment of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales. In a statement, Garcia said the timing of the decision was suspicious since Morales was also facing an impeachment complaint at the House of Representatives. The decision, she added, amounted to “a blatant attempt to strong arm me into helping her escape impeachment” at the House. Earlier on Monday, Morales ordered the dismissal of Garcia over her questionable purchase of a P98.9-million Balili property when she was the governor of Cebu in 2008. Incidentally, Garcia is also facing graft charges for the anomalous procurement of the CICC which was built at P840 million.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer February 12, 2018 14:26 UTC