DILG and Ombudsman insisted on suspension of Ecija governor despite temporary injunction

The Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Office of the Ombudsman confirmed the “valid delivery” of the six-month preventive suspension against Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio Umali.

Although the Court of Appeals, through 11th Division Judges Mary Charlene Hernandez-Azura and Florencio M. Mamauag Jr., issued a temporary restraining order in Umali’s favor, the Ombudsman found that the suspension was necessary because there was “strong evidence of his guilt.”

The five-page resolution dated May 10, which was leaked to reporters over the weekend, was signed by Special Prosecutor Edilberto Sandoval on behalf of Ombudsman Samuel Martires.

It can be recalled that the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension of Umali, as well as his wife Czarina Umali – a former governor of Nueva Ecija – and Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Wilfredo Pangilinan, amid its investigation into the administrative proceedings initiated against him in connection with the alleged illegal issuance of 205 permits for sand and gravel mining in Nueva Ecija “without the required Environmental Compliance Certificate or ECC.”

The Ombudsman pointed out that the law was a “clear circumvention” of Republic Act 7942, or the Philippine Mining Code.

The House Committee on Good Governance and Public Accountability has already held hearings on the illegal quarrying operations in Nueva Ecija – which were allegedly approved by the provincial government.

Based on the compliance report of Jay Timbreza, DILG Deputy Regional Director, the Order of Preventive Suspension was received by the Office of the Ombudsman at DILG headquarters on May 14.

In its first attempt on May 21, the DILG failed to suspend the proceedings.

The suspension order was served twice, on May 22 at the Office of the Provincial Governor in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, and at the new provincial capital in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija.

Capitol officials refused to accept the order because Umali was on vacation.

The Ombudsman found that Umali’s suspension was “immediately enforceable” and was necessary “to prevent him from committing further misconduct or abuse of office during his term of office.”

Therefore, the DILG decided to post a copy of the order at the front door of the Office of the Provincial Governor and at the front door of the new Provincial Capitol.

Umali, his wife and Pangilinan are accused of serious misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the welfare of the service.

The starting point for the prosecution was a complaint from a certain Roberto Duldulao.

In a resolution released by the Court of Appeals on May 22, Judges Mary Charlene Hernandez-Azura and Florencio Mamauag Jr. granted Umali’s request for a preliminary injunction, citing in part the “indispensability of the governor’s office in the provision of services to its constituents.”