Why Governor Garcia got suspended

Aggrupation is a word that I do not quite feel comfortable to use. I remember reading it for the first time when I pored over a book on Philippine Constitution written by Chief Justice Enrique Fernando (1915-2004). The other day, I opened again that work of the late chief justice and found his words thus: “Intellectual liberty occupies a place inferior to none in the hierarchy of human values. The mind must be free to think what it wills xx and to seek other candid views in occasions or gatherings or more permanent aggrupation.”

The truth is that I actually wanted to express a personal observation on a current event. Chief Justice Fernando said that “my mind (is) free to think amongst aggrupations. This article today is about my off-tangent thought on the suspension by the Ombudsman of her honor, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia. I honestly believe that my comment on this touchy issue is likely to earn reactions from extreme opposite ends. It is in anticipating these divergent minds that I went back to Fernando’s profound language that my mind should be free to think what it wills.

There are unrelated events to reckon with although my recollection may not reflect the order of their happening. I remember seeing a video of Governor Gwen speaking before an aggrupation in Minglanilla. She was in that municipality to campaign but was rudely interrupted by her audience who boisterously shouted “Duterte! Duterte! Duterte!” True, the mind of the crowd was free to express preference for Digong but at the same time they showed disrespect to the lady governor who went to their town presumably carrying the political flag of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

There apparently were other crowds in Toledo City and Compostela town, which were reportedly of the same climate as that of Minglanilla’s. They were, at the very least, discomforting to Governor Garcia. She must have figured out that Duterte could still round up massive following and support Pam Baricuatro’s challenge against her.

Here and now, I dare to read Gov Gwen’s mind. Only her self-preservation matters. Principles have nothing to do with it. In order to nip the proverbial bud of Duterte’s support for Pam Baricuatro, she had to do something to show to Cebuanos that she and Duterte were (are still?) politically supportive of each other. To achieve this end, Garcia recently did two acts. First, I saw her, in another FB post, proclaim to another aggrupation (hehehe) that she never uttered any word against Duterte. Meaning, she continued to enjoy political liaison with the former president. Second, she carried in her team Senators Christopher “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, both trusted Duterte men.

I imagine that President Marcos Jr. viewed differently Governor Gwen’s gambit. The president must have remembered the reports that Garcia turned her back on Jejomar Binay at the eleventh hour in the 2016 elections. BBM could not also put to rest the rumors that the Cebu governor dropped LAKAS’ Gibo Teodoro like a hot potato in the remaining days of the 2010 elections in favor of a moneyed Manny Villar.

I surmise that if Marcos considered those past disturbing events involving opportunism, he could not fully trust the loyalty of the governor. I hate to opine that Marcos Jr. did not feel it right to allow Gov Gwen to employ the “namamangka sa dalawang ilog” game. Therefore, if we were to connect some dots, it may not be difficult for us to surmise that the suspension of Governor Garcia by the Ombudsman was with Malacañang’s blessing because it could make clearer the president’s path in Cebu politics. Believe it or not!