MANILA, Philippines ? (UPDATE) The Department of Interior and Local Government has suspended two governors effective this Tuesday.
Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno said Bataan Governor Enrique Garcia has been suspended for six months while Western Samar Governor Milagros Tan, for 90 days, over grave misconduct and criminal charges respectively.
Both suspensions are without pay, Puno said at a press conference.
The move is in compliance with a directive from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court for the two governors? preventive suspension, on charges of grave misconduct against Garcia and graft against
Tan.
After issuing the suspension orders, Puno asked local officials and supporters of the two governors to ?remain calm,? amid reports of tension at the respective provincial capitols where the two officials hold office.
?I want everybody to remain calm under these circumstances. These are legal issues that have to be resolved within the legal domain. Physical force is not going to benefit anybody,? he said.
Puno said he has directed Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel and officers of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) officers to manage the crowds in the concerned areas.
?I?ve also given [a] directive to the PNP and DILG in Bataan not to engage in any kind of evacuation of the capitol premises; not to disperse any kind of peaceful demonstration. Although I understand that there are counter demonstrations going on in the introduction of crowd dispersal and management people in order to keep the contending groups apart. We do not want a clash of individuals in this issue,? he said.
Puno also said he has decided to discontinue any communication with the two governors for the meantime. Both are administration governors and personal friends, he said.
?I have talked to both of them personally. They gave me their opinions on the matter, after which I desisted [from] talking to them already. Because, you know, both governors are my personal friends. I think we should draw the line between our official duties and our personal relationships. Having gone to that official conversation, I felt that I should desist from personally talking to the parties involved so we can be objective,? he said.
With the suspensions, the vice governors take over although they can refuse to do so,? said Pun. If this happens, the next in rank will assume the post.
Aside from Garcia, also suspended for six months in Bataan are provincial legal officer Aurelio Angeles Jr., provincial treasurer Emerlinda Talento, and provincial administrator Rodolfo De Mesa.
In Western Samar, the other suspended officials are provincial administrative officer Rolando Montejo, provincial accountant Romeo Reales, provincial budget officer Maximo Sison, and property inspection officer Numeriano Legaspi.
The suspension of Garcia stemmed from the complaint of a certain Josechito Gonzaga, who accused him of entering into a ?grossly disadvantageous? compromise agreement with Sunrise Paper Products.
The Office of the Overall Deputy Ombudsman issued an order placing Garcia on preventive suspension last November 5.
Tan was accused of ?irregular purchases of supplies such as electric fans, rice, etc. using calamity fund without the corresponding declaration of a state of calamity by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan [provincial board], in the accumulated amount of P16.1 million,? the criminal complaint against Tan, a copy of which was made available to INQUIRER.net, said.
