Malacañang’s alleged power-grab in Cebu City by ordering the suspension of incumbent Gov. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia, will not be good for the Liberal Party (LP) in the coming elections, said Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday.

Marcos, chairman of the Senate committee on local government, noted that Garcia is just protecting the mandate given to her by the people and it is expected that she will exhaust all available legal options before allowing somebody else to take over her post.

“It will not be good for the LP and its candidates if the suspension will be found to be politically motivated,” said Marcos.

Malacañang, on Thursday, asked Garcia to respect President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s suspension order.

In an interview, Palace deputy spokesman Abigail Valte said that Garcia could avail of legal remedies against her suspension but the courts will decide on the basis of the President’s order.

“We’ve said time and again that there is a legal process that is to be followed. All lawyers know that Gov. Gwen Garcia has available legal remedies of which, I think, she has already said that she is planning to avail,” she said.

“In the meantime, the possible legal remedy is a restraining order from the higher court. But, until such time that is handed down, then we appeal that the decision be respected and the suspension [order] be followed,” she added.

The suspension order stems from an administrative case filed by the former vice governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr., accusing Garcia of alleged usurpation of authority and cutting the budget of his office.

Garcia, a member of the United Nationalist Alliance of Vice President Jejomar Binay and former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada, is now on her third and last term as a governor and is set to run for congress in the 2013 midterm elections.

The Department of Interior and Local Government found violations and recommended Garcia’s suspension to the Executive office.

The Interior department is currently headed by Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd, who was defeated by Binay in the 2010 vice presidential race.

Roxas, in a separate interview denied that the order is politically motivated and that the department is just following the law.

He also appealed to Garcia to honor the order as he promise the governor that she will be reinstated as governor once a court issues a ruling favoring her.

Marcos also said that the persistence of the Interior department to have Garcia remove from her post might push the people who supported her to retaliate against LP candidates in Cebu in next year’s polls.