MANILA, Philippines — The Court of Appeals (CA) has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) and reversed the Office of the Ombudsman’s suspension of eight members of the Antique Provincial Board.
The CA’s 4th division issued the order in a 9-page resolution dated Nov. 7, 2024, reinstating Board Members Egidio Elio, Rony Molina, Victor Condez, Alfie Jay Niquia, Plaridel Sanchez, Mayella Mae Plameras-Ladislao, Kenneth Dave Gasalao, and Julius Cezar Tajanlangit.
READ: Ombudsman suspends 8 Antique board members
Under the resolution, the CA cited the possibility that the electorate of Antique will be “undeservedly deprived of the services of petitioners” who were duly elected to be members of its Provincial Board.
It also noted that if the charges against the board members turn out to be lacking in merit, it may expose them to “unwarranted irreparable injury.”
“Let a [TRO] be issued effective immediately upon service hereof, and for 60 days thereafter, pending the resolution of petitioner’s prayer for the issuance of a Writ of Preliminary Injunction and unless sooner revoked, enjoining herein respondents, their officers and agents, and all persons acting under them from enforcing, implementing and giving effect to the Order dated 1 August 2024 of the Office of the Ombudsman,” the CA resolution read.
However, the CA still ordered the board members to pay a bond of P100,000 each—with failure to do so resulting in the revocation of the CA resolution.
It also directed the Provincial Board of Antique to refrain from deliberating and approving the P765 million budget for three items of the Supplemental Budget initially disapproved by the board, pending their reinstatement.
The Ombudsman in August suspended the board members after it found that the respondents “deliberately delayed action” on the province’s Supplemental Budget No.1, amounting to P1.07 billion, during their regular session on May 20 and 27.