Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, legal counsel of Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro, on Monday dismissed a new administrative complaint against the governor as “the most laughable” in a series of what he described as politically motivated “harassment suits.”
The latest case, Topacio said, alleges that Baricuatro violated Article 179 of the Revised Penal Code by wearing a police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) uniform in a birthday greeting posted on her official Facebook page.
“The case is a tale told by someone who has no idea what he is talking about, full of bluster but ultimately empty,” he said, pointing out that the complaint comes at a time when Cebuanos continue to suffer from successive natural and man-made calamities.
Topacio expressed confidence that the Cebu governor would be exonerated but noted that the complaint unnecessarily distracts her from her work “to make life better for her constituents after decades of bad governance by her predecessor.”
Those resorting to “underhanded acts” do so at the expense of the common good, Topacio said.
On 21 November 2025, the complaint was filed by former Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center warden Byron Garcia, brother of former governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who alleged that Baricuatro had no authority to wear or display police insignia.
He cited a 10 November 2025 Facebook post showing the governor in a SWAT-style outfit with shoulder patches, a prominent “SWAT” label across the chest, and the Cebu Police Provincial Office emblem.
Byron also claimed that such use of regulated symbols could mislead the public into believing the governor has police powers or affiliation and asked the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office to investigate and file appropriate charges.