By Benjamin Pulta | Philippine News Agency
The Office of the Ombudsman fined outgoing Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia for her refusal to step down following the issuance of a preventive suspension order in April.
“(F)or defying the preventive suspension order dated April 23, the Ombudsman finds respondent Governor Gwendolyn Garcia guilty of indirect contempt, and is hereby imposed a fine of PHP30,000” the Ombudsman said in an order dated June 10.
The Ombudsman said the contempt ruling followed Garcia’s failure to step down from the period she received the suspension order on April 29 until May 15 when a temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued by the Court of Appeals (CA).
“(D)uring the intervening period from 29 April 2025 to 14 May 2025, you (Garcia) had no legal authority to discharge the functions of governor, for the simple reason that the (CA) TRO does not have retroactive application,” the court said.
“Despite implementation thereof and its immediately executory nature, you have willfully and openly refused to step down from your position as Governor.”
The Ombudsman placed Garcia under a six-month preventive suspension for grave abuse of authority, gross misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross negligence, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service for allegedly granting a special permit to a construction firm on May 14, 2024 without the necessary permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, or prior study/consultation with other relevant government agencies.
