The Office of the Ombudsman has fined outgoing Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia ₱30,000 after finding her guilty of indirect contempt for defying a preventive suspension order issued in April 2025.
In an order dated June 10, 2025, the Ombudsman stated that Garcia “willfully and openly refused” to step down from her post despite the suspension order’s “immediately executory” nature. The suspension stemmed from allegations of grave abuse of authority linked to the governor’s issuance of a special permit to a construction firm reportedly operating illegally.
“On 29 April 2025, you received a copy of the Order of the Ombudsman dated 23 April 2025 (‘Preventive Suspension Order’) preventively suspending you from office… Despite implementation thereof and its immediately executory nature, you have willfully and openly refused to step down,” the Ombudsman’s ruling read.
“Accordingly, respondent Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia is hereby declared guilty of indirect contempt… and is hereby imposed a fine of Thirty Thousand Pesos (₱30,000), payable to the Office of the Ombudsman,” it added.
Garcia, however, challenged the ruling, citing a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) she secured from the Court of Appeals. The TRO, issued shortly after the preventive suspension order, temporarily halted its implementation.
In a statement to GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak, Garcia questioned the Ombudsman’s decision to penalize her despite the active TRO. “A TRO has been issued against his preventive suspension order by the Court of Appeals,” she emphasized. “In fact, several media outlets reported that the Office of the Ombudsman has filed a Motion to Quash on the said CA order. This, in effect, acknowledges the existence of the TRO.”
Garcia also questioned whether Ombudsman Samuel Martires was disregarding the authority of the Court of Appeals: “By citing me for indirect contempt, is Ombudsman Martires insisting now that he does not respect the Temporary Restraining Order issued by the Court of Appeals?”
The legal standoff adds further tension as Garcia prepares to exit office. It remains to be seen how the conflicting actions of the Court of Appeals and the Ombudsman will be resolved in the coming weeks.