Ombudsman slams Garcia

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CEBU CITY — The Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday criticized Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia for refusing to vacate her post amid the preventive suspension order slapped against her.

This comes even as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed support for the embattled governor and called for fair treatment from the Ombudsman.

In a strongly worded press statement on Thursday, Ombudsman Samuel Martires criticized Garcia for staying in office despite the six-month suspension order that was served earlier this week over administrative charges linked to her alleged issuance of a special permit to a contractor without proper environmental clearance.

"This is not the first time Governor Garcia has defied the rule of law particularly the lawful order and decision of the Office of the Ombudsman," Martires said, recalling a 2018 dismissal order against Garcia, who was then a congress-woman, over a controversial land purchase.

The order, Martires said, was never enforced.

Martires also questioned Garcia's legal stance, calling her statements "conflicting" and her reliance on the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for interpretation of election rules "misplaced."

"The only government agency tasked to implement and interpret the Omnibus Election Code is the Comelec," Mar-tires said.

Garcia previously argued that the suspension was unlawful due to the ongoing election period, citing prohibitions un-der the Omnibus Election Code and the lack of written authorization from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

She has written to DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla seeking clarification.

Martires, however, maintained that the preventive suspension was validly issued under Republic Act 6770, which al-lows such orders pending investigation when charges involve dishonesty, misconduct, or neglect of duty.

He added that politics played no role in the decision, saying, the Office of the Ombudsman "remained and will always remain an independent constitutional office."

The Ombudsman also called out Garcia for linking the suspension to politics, saying her remarks "maliciously insinuate" that the order was politically motivated because Martires was appointed by former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Despite the Ombudsman's stern warning, Malacañang issued a separate statement.

"Until all legal questions surrounding this suspension are resolved, she deserves to be treated fairly and with the re-spect owed to her office," President Marcos said.

He called for prudence during the campaign season and reminded government agencies to "uphold the rule of law and observe due process."

"Let us not allow politics to get in the way of public service," Marcos added.

On April 30, Garcia declared she would not step down, citing alleged legal infirmities in the Ombudsman's order.

She argued that the suspension was not only illegal but also poorly timed, as the campaign season for the May 2025 polls is in full swing.

Garcia's legal counsel, Atty. Alex Avisado, said the order violates election law, stressing that the charges do not fall un-der exceptions that allow suspensions during election periods.

"There is no defiance of the Ombudsman's order," Avisado said. "She is merely exercising the legal remedies available to her."

The administrative complaint was filed by Moises Garcia Deiparine and accuses the governor of grave abuse of author-ity, gross misconduct, serious dishonesty, and other violations after she allegedly allowed Shalom Construction Inc. to operate.

This even allegedly without securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate or Certificate of Non-Coverage from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

As of Friday, Garcia remains in her office at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.