PB clears Gica of dishonesty over alleged falsified receipt

Contrary to the Ombudsman ruling, the Cebu Provincial Board has junked the administrative case against former Dumanjug mayor Efren Guntrano “Gungun” Gica.

The complainant, former Dumanjug mayor Nelson Garcia, alleged that Gica submitted a falsified receipt to support his liquidation report for a P50,000 cash advance by making it appear that the amount involved was P21,435 instead of P11,435.

Gica was dismissed from service by the Ombudsman-Visayas in November 2017 because of the complaint of Garcia. This month, the PB adopted the findings and decision of its Committee on Complaints and Investigation dismissing the administrative charges.

“After close scrutiny of the facts and circumstances attendant to the present case, the Committee on Complaints and Investigation in its Committee Report dated July 03, 2018 resolved to dismiss the subject complaint for lack of merit,” the committee report states.

The report was adopted by the members of the Provincial Board last week. Gica defended that he submitted four receipts and even returned the change for liquidation. Later, he found out that only one of the four receipts remained and it has been tampered with.

“If there was an intention (to malverse public funds), nganong giuli man ang change?” he said.

Gica said that the complainant was also guilty of forum shopping because he filed the administrative case for dishonesty and misconduct before the PB while another complaint was also filed before the Ombudsman - Visayas over the same incident.

Gica said he wished that the PB decision came earlier. He said that he hopes that the governor will reinstate him as Dumanjug town mayor following the PB decision. At present, Rene Asentista sits as the town mayor.

Gica said that he has a pending motion for reconsideration at the Court of Appeals for the decision of the Ombudsman. With the PB’s resolution, he hopes it will support his motion for CA to give his case a priority and rule in his favor.