DESILTATION OF THE MANANGA RIVER
Ombudsman fines Cebu’s Garcia P1.2 million for Mananga River project
Cebu City, PHILIPPINES – Former Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has been ordered to pay a fine of approximately P1.2 million by the Office of the Ombudsman after being found guilty of administrative charges related to a desilting project on the Mananga River.
The anti-graft body ruled that Garcia was guilty of “conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service” and “simple misconduct” for issuing a special permit to Shalom Construction Inc. in May 2024 without first securing the necessary clearances from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The project was intended to address a severe water shortage in the province.
The penalty for the offenses is typically a one-year suspension without pay. However, since Garcia is no longer a public official, the Ombudsman ordered her to pay a fine equivalent to six months of a provincial governor’s basic salary. Based on the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) compensation scheme, provincial governors earn between P203,200 and P226,000 per month, bringing the total fine to approximately P1.2 million.
The case was filed by Moises Deiparine, who also previously filed a complaint that led to Garcia’s six-month suspension in April. While Deiparine’s complaint included charges of grave abuse of authority, gross misconduct, serious dishonesty, and gross negligence, the Ombudsman dismissed these allegations.
In a 37-page ruling, the Ombudsman acknowledged that Garcia’s intentions were “well-meaning” and aimed at addressing the water crisis caused by the El Niño phenomenon. However, the ruling emphasized the importance of following environmental laws, stating, “our environmental laws… are in place to ensure that solutions to present problems do not create greater environmental harm in the future.”
In her defense, Garcia has previously stated that her decision was made in response to the critical water shortage affecting the Metropolitan Cebu Water District’s franchise area. She also maintained that all decisions were made in collaboration with local governments and environmental agencies, including the DENR. As of this posting, reporters have reached out to Garcia for comment.
