CITY OF SAN FERNANDO?Supporters and critics of Bataan Gov. Enrique Garcia Jr. are set to mass up at the provincial capitol grounds in Balanga City on Monday when the Department of the Interior and Local Government is expected to serve the six-month preventive suspension order of the Ombudsman on the governor, the Philippine Daily Inquirer learned on Saturday.

The rallies are set in time for the visit of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to Limay town, southwest of Balanga City, to witness the processing by Petron of at least 300,000 barrels of oil obtained from the Galloc oil field in Palawan.

The Kabalikat, a women?s group loyal to Garcia, has been organizing a rally since Friday to show support to the governor.

Renato Brion, DILG Central Luzon director, said reports reaching him showed that pro-Garcia forces had put up barricades at the capitol since 3 p.m. on Friday.

Bataan police chief Senior Supt. Manuel Gaerlan confirmed that Garcia?s supporters rushed to his side but left Friday evening.

Garcia?s political rivals were also mounting a rally to demand that he respect the Ombudsman?s order.

Aside from Garcia, the Ombudsman also ordered the suspension of provincial legal officer Aurelio Angeles Jr., provincial treasurer Merlinda Talento and former provincial administrator (now Balanga City administrator) Rodolfo de Mesa.

?We have now determined that it is very likely that they would again intimidate or influence witnesses or would tamper with records that might be vital to the prosecution of the case against them,? graft investigation and prosecution officer Judy Anne Escalona said in the order.

?(That makes) it imperative on the part of the Office of the Ombudsman to immediately place them under preventive suspension as the need for precautionary measures against possible abuse of the prerogatives of their office escalates under the circumstances,? said the order.

The complainants, all workers of the disputed Sunrise Paper Products Industries Inc., alleged that Garcia, former Vice Gov. Benjamin Alonzo, 12 other current and former local officials and two police officials, committed graft, falsification of public documents, serious illegal detention, malversation of public properties and funds and plunder in the disposition of P120 million worth of two lands, equipment and machineries covered by two civil cases.

The court favored the claims of businessman Victor Gawtee to recover the assets. The provincial government disposed of those through an auction and when unclaimed, took ownership of those, to recover unpaid taxes worth P2.3 million.

The Sunrise workers filed the complaint to recover some P5 million in salaries and wages.

Garcia called the suspension as ?political harassment,? tracing that to Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez who, he said, blamed him for the defeat of her brother, Roselier Navarro, in the mayoral race in Samal town in the last elections.

Last week, the Ombudsman also elevated a graft case against Garcia at the Sandiganbayan in connection with a ?grossly disadvantageous? compromise agreement the provincial government entered with the Presidential Commission on Good Government over the Baseco properties of the brother of former first lady Imelda Marcos.

On Saturday, the capitol was quiet and secured by some provincial government personnel, said Balanga City police chief Supt. Benjamin Silo.

Brion said he has not yet received a copy of the order from the Ombudsman or Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno. Tonette Orejas with a report from Greg Refraccion, Inquirer Central Luzon