December had barely begun when Byron Garcia filed another administrative complaint—this time accusing Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro of spreading “false and misleading” claims about the supposed purchase of sea ambulances.
Garcia, brother of former Governor Gwen Garcia, submitted the complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman on December 1, 2025.
He alleged violations of Republic Act 6713, the Local Government Code, and other relevant laws.
In his affidavit, Garcia claimed that Baricuatro misrepresented the procurement status of two sea ambulances in her official and personal social media posts.
He said Baricuatro publicly asserted that the Provincial Government of Cebu had already purchased and owned a sea ambulance even though no completed transaction existed between the province and its supplier.
Garcia said the governor first made the claim on her verified Facebook page on October 7.
A similar message later appeared on the official Facebook page of the Provincial Government, reinforcing public belief that Cebu had already acquired the vessel.
However, Garcia noted that during the budget deliberations, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan clarified that no purchase had occurred.
Officials explained that the vessel currently in the province’s possession had been lent to the Capitol only for temporary use.
PDRRMO chief Dennis Pastor and Provincial Budget Officer Danilo Rodas informed SP members that supplier Dynacast provided the boat solely for test runs as part of a market survey.
Rodas added that the provincial government had no contract or rental agreement with the supplier.
He also said that the “Province of Cebu” decals seen on the vessel were included by the supplier as part of its marketing presentation.
Despite these clarifications, Garcia said Baricuatro continued to insist online that the ambulance boat had already been procured.
He cited a November 29 Facebook post from the governor, which he described as a “belated attempt to correct” her earlier claim but one that, in his view, highlighted the alleged falsity of her first statements.
Garcia argued that Baricuatro’s posts gave her undeserved political credit and misled the public regarding supposed government accomplishments.
The complaint accused the governor of dishonesty, misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
“Sobra na ang bakak aning bayhana… it’s time to teach her a lesson or two about good manners and right/proper conduct. God said… ‘It’s a sin to lie’,” Garcia shared in a text message.
This marks Garcia’s second case against Baricuatro in less than two weeks, following his November 21 complaint over a viral photo that allegedly showed the governor wearing a SWAT uniform—an image Baricuatro maintains was AI-generated.
In response to the new charges, Baricuatro dismissed the complaint and said she remains focused on serving the province.
“Let him file all the cases he wants. I will face him in court. Padayon kog trabaho kay klaro kaayo mas malipayon karon ang Sugbo ug ang Kapitolyo,” the governor said. (SBA)
