No TRO yet for Gwen; CA sets oral argument

MANILA (Updated 5:40 p.m.) -- Embattled Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia will have to wait for a while before her petition to stop the further implementation of the suspension order issued by Malacanang last December 17 will be granted by the Court of Appeals (CA).

Court sources said the CA 12th division tasked to resolve Garcia's request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) decided to hold an oral argument at 10 a.m. of January 10 to hear the contentions of the opposing parties.

The Office of the President, which suspended Garcia for six months due to grave abuse of authority, has been asked to comment on the petition.

After the debate next week, the case will then be submitted for resolution.

Sources said present in Wednesday's deliberation were members of the division, namely, Justices Vicente Veloso, Aurora Jane Lantion, and Eduardo Peralta.

Malacanang already denied the accusation that politics was a factor in penalizing Garcia, which developed after she allegedly hired consultants in 2010 without the consent of the Provincial Board and slashed the budget of the office of then Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez.

Garcia is seeking a congressional post in Cebu in the midterm elections this May under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), rival of the Liberal Party (LP) headed by President Benigno Aquino III.

The lady governor continues to hold her ground since the suspension was served last December 19, refusing to leave the Provincial Capitol despite alleged threats to physically remove her. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)