Suspension order for Tuguegarao mayor served

TUGUEGARAO CITY—Mayor Jefferson Soriano was served on Monday his latest 90-day preventive suspension order from the Department of the Interior and Local Government in connection with a graft case filed against him and other former Philippine National Police officials over the allegedly anomalous purchase of rubber boats in 2009.

Soriano said he accepted the suspension imposed by the Sandiganbayan’s third division as “a law-abiding citizen.”

But he insisted his suspension was “politically motivated.” Soriano is running for reelection against former Mayor Delfin Ting and Vice Mayor Engelbert Caronan, who took his oath of office as acting mayor on Tuesday.

“This is only a preventive suspension, not [a] penalty [for a conviction], so it is not affected by the ban on the suspension of public officials during an election period. I believe I can survive these trials,” Soriano said.

He was earlier suspended in 2014 when he was implicated in the purchase of secondhand government helicopters, also while he served in the PNP.

Soriano was also dismissed from the service by the Ombudsman for allowing a bazaar to proceed without a council resolution. But the ruling of the Ombudsman was overturned by the Court of Appeals and his dismissal was downgraded to a suspension. Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon