Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has been placed under a six-month preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman, following accusations of multiple administrative violations including grave abuse of authority, gross misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross negligence, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and breach of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
The suspension order, issued on April 28, 2025, stemmed from a complaint filed by Moises Garcia Deiparine. He accused the governor of serious administrative violations related to issuing a Special Permit. According to the complainant, Garcia acted beyond her authority and disregarded standard procedures.
In a statement sent to CDN Digital, Garcia confirmed receiving the order but expressed her disagreement with both its basis and necessity. “I respect the processes of the law, but I must respectfully disagree with both the basis and the necessity of this action,” she said.
Garcia defended her actions, explaining that the issuance of the Special Permit was an urgent response to the critical water shortage affecting the entire franchise area of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD). This area includes Cebu City and seven neighboring local government units.
She also claimed that she and her legal team were never notified about Deiparine’s complaint, denying them the chance to properly respond. “It bears stressing that we were never given notice of this complaint, and thus were deprived of the opportunity to respond to Mr. Moises Garcia Deiparine’s baseless and malicious accusations,” she added.
Despite the suspension, Garcia assured the public that her dedication to serving Cebu remains unchanged. She vowed to challenge the decision through all available legal channels.
“To the people of Cebu: please be assured that my commitment to serve you remains steadfast,” she declared. “No political maneuvering, no malicious attacks, and no unjust actions will ever deter me from fulfilling my sworn duty.”
The case is expected to stir political conversations in Cebu, especially as Garcia prepares to contest the Ombudsman’s ruling while maintaining her innocence.
Authorities have yet to announce who will serve as acting governor during the suspension period.
Is governor garcia on pbbm’s side? If not, then it is political harrassment.