Ombudsman suspends governor of Nueva Ecija

During the investigation into the granting of 205 illegal quarry permits

MANILA, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the precautionary suspension of Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio Umali amid the investigation into administrative proceedings filed against him in connection with the alleged illegal issuance of 205 permits for sand and gravel mining in the province.

In a five-page order dated May 10 and seen by reporters yesterday, the ombudsman said Umali’s suspension was necessary because there was “strong evidence of his guilt.”

The decision was signed by Special Prosecutor Edilberto Sandoval on behalf of Ombudsman Samuel Martires.

It said Umali’s suspension without pay could not exceed six months but could be lifted once the investigation was completed.

The office of Interior Minister Benhur Abalos was instructed to implement the suspension order.

The Ombudsman said Umali’s suspension was “immediately enforceable.”

Court of Appeals (CA) records show that Umali has a motion for preliminary injunction and a writ of certiorari pending against him challenging the validity of the suspension order.

In a resolution announced on May 22, the CA’s 11th Division postponed the consideration of Umali’s petition in “due time” and instead directed the Ombudsman to file a response to his petition.

The Ombudsman said Umali’s suspension was necessary “to prevent him from committing further malpractice or misconduct during his term of office.”

Umali, his wife Czarina, a former governor of Nueva Ecija, and Wilfredo Pangilinan, an official of the provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, face charges of grave misconduct, gross dereliction of duty and conduct detrimental to service.

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

The Ombudsman cited a report by the House Committee on Good Governance and Public Accountability on hearings on quarrying operations in Nueva Ecija, which revealed that the provincial government issued the quarrying permits without environmental clearance certificates from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The committee report stated that respondents only requested the submission of a local environmental impact certificate.

The Ombudsman said the respondents’ actions were a “clear circumvention” of Republic Act 7942, or the Philippine Mining Code.

Election protest against Bacolod mayor cancelled

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections has affirmed the decision of the Comelec Second Division to reject the request for a recount of votes in the 2022 Bacolod mayoral election and to declare the proclamation of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez invalid.

The Comelec said the petition by former Mayor Evelio Leonardia was “inadequate in form and content.”

“The protestant neither raised any grounds nor presented any new issues or topics that would justify the reversal of the order of the Second Division of the Comelec,” the April 23 resolution said.

Leonardia called for a manual recount of votes in 450 wards in the city and urged the Comelec to declare the elections a failure, citing massive vote buying and fraudulent votes.

However, the Comelec said Leonardia’s allegations were “too broad, too general and highly speculative.”

“The Protestant’s belief or suspicion that the elections were conducted irregularly, without supporting it with evidence, is simply not enough to refute the presumed regularity of the automated elections,” it continued. — Gilbert Bayoran