Observe due process in Cebu governor suspension order - Marcos

Metro Manila, Philippine - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged authorities to observe due process in the case of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia's six-month preventive suspension ordered by the Ombudsman.

Marcos said it is crucial to uphold the rule of law, especially that the Ombudsman’s order was given a few days before the midterm polls on May 12.

“Let me be clear: in a time like this - so close to the elections - it is vital that we uphold the rule of law and observe due process,'' he said in a statement released Thursday, May 1.

“Any action that affects the mandate of a duly elected official must go through the proper channels and in accordance with the Constitution and the Omnibus Election Code,” he added.

Marcos said he has been made aware of Garcia’s suspension and called for the governor to be treated “fairly and with the respect owed to her office” until all related issues have been resolved.

“Let us not allow politics to get in the way of public service. We must always be guided by the law, by prudence, and by what is best for the Filipino people,” the president said.

The Ombudsman suspended Garcia pending a probe on a special permit she granted to Shalom Construction Inc. in May 2024. The permit was allegedly issued despite the company’s lack of mandatory clearances from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Garcia is a re-electionist. She was seen in Kadiwa stores in Cebu for the launch of the administration’s program to sell rice for P20 per kilogram in the Visayas.