Ombudsman puts Gwen under preventive suspension

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has been placed under preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The state’s anti-graft investigating body meted Garcia a six-month preventive suspension for grave abuse of authority, gross misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross negligence, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards (Republic Act 6713.)

Garcia, in a statement sent to CDN Digital, confirmed receiving a copy of the suspension order from the state’s anti-graft investigating body.

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The Governor said that while she respects the decision of the Ombudsman and the processes of the law, the governor said she “respectfully disagree with its basis and the necessity.”

“I respect the processes of the law, but I must respectfully disagree with both the basis and the necessity of this action,” said Garcia.

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Suspension order

The suspension order stemmed from a complainant filed by a Moises Garcia Deiparine, who accused the governor of grave abuse of authority, gross misconduct and negligence, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service.

It was released on April 28, 2025.

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Deiparine, a known founder of the Duterte Riders Team, alleged that the governor violated the Code of Conduct when she issued a special permit to Shalom Construction Inc. in May 2024 despite the absence of an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) or certificate of non-coverage (CNC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

In his complaint, he accused the governor of not holding any consultations before issuing the permit.

‘No malice’

For her part, Garcia belied Deiparine’s accusations, adding that her decision had “no personal interest or malice.”

“The issuance of the Special Permit in question was driven solely by the urgent need to address the critical water shortage that had severely affected the entire franchise area of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD), which includes Cebu City and seven other local government units,” she explained.

She also stressed that their party had not been notified about Deiparine’s complaint.

“It bears stressing that we were never given notice of this complaint, and thus were deprived of the opportunity to respond to Mr. Moises Garcia Deiparine’s baseless and malicious accusations,” Garcia said.

In the meantime, the governor said they will exhaust all legal remedies in the hopes of overturning the Ombudsman’s decision.

“To the people of Cebu: please be assured that my commitment to serve you remains steadfast. No political maneuvering, no malicious attacks, and no unjust actions will ever deter me from fulfilling my sworn duty,” said Garcia.

“In these times, let us stand together — guided by truth, united by purpose, and driven by our unwavering love for a strong and united Cebu,” she added.