By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos
MANILA – Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia must be treated “fairly” while the legal issues concerning the suspension order against her are not yet resolved, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Thursday.
The Office of the Ombudsman ordered Garcia’s preventive suspension for six months without pay over alleged grave abuse of authority, in connection with the issuance of a special permit to Shalom Construction Inc. in May 2024 without mandatory clearances from relevant government agencies.
“I have been made aware of the preventive suspension issued against Governor Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu,” Marcos said in a statement posted on his official Facebook account.
“Governor Garcia has served Cebu with strength and consistency. Until all legal questions surrounding this suspension are resolved, she deserves to be treated fairly and with the respect owed to her office,” he added.
Marcos said any action that affects the mandate of a duly elected official must go through the proper channels and must be under the Constitution and the Omnibus Election Code.
He also emphasized that politics must not get in the way of public service.
“Let me be clear: in a time like this—so close to the elections—it is vital that we uphold the rule of law and observe due process,” he said. “We must always be guided by the law, by prudence, and by what is best for the Filipino people.”
Garcia, who is running for her third consecutive three-year term as Cebu governor, defied the Ombudsman’s order, as she questioned the legality of the preventive suspension during the election period.
She also questioned the timing of the order, which was issued just days before the May 2025 elections. (PNA)
