Pampanga governor suspends mayor, 6 councilors over land deal

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda on Friday (Nov. 6) ordered the mayor and six councilors of San Simon town suspended for 60 days in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of land near the town hall.

Mayor Abundio Punsalan Jr. was suspended along with Councilors Romanoel Santos, Mark Macapagal, Irene Dagdag, Randell Bondoc, Archiebald Basilio and Alekseyevich Vergara.

No details of the land transaction have been provided, though.

The provincial board recommended the suspension of the seven officials after an administrative case had been filed against them.

Pineda also directed Vice Mayor Leonora Wong to take over as mayor in the meantime. Wong had sued Punsalan for graft at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Pineda directed the provincial legal office, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and provincial police director to enforce the order.

But Punsalan told the Inquirer that the transaction was “aboveboard” as he described his preventive suspension as “procedural.”

The six councilors have yet to issue statements.

TSB