THE Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension of 12 officials for six months in connection with an anomalous flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.
The suspension was revealed by lawyer Juanito Lim, counsel for Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) maintenance division chief Juliet Calvo, on Tuesday, December 2. Justices of the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division inquired about the employment status of the accused during their arraignment.
“We have just received that they are being suspended for six months, an order from the Office of the Ombudsman,” Lim informed the court.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano later confirmed the suspension order. In addition to Calvo, the suspended officials include Gerald A. Pacanan, Gene Ryan A. Altea, Ruben C. Santos Jr., Dominic G. Serrano, Felisardo S. Casuno, Timojen A. Sacar, Montrexis T. Tamayo, Dennis P. Abagon, Lerma D. Cayco, Grace D. Lopez, and Frierich Karl L. Camero.
“This stemmed from the administrative case that was instituted simultaneously with the criminal charge,” Clavano explained in a message to reporters. The suspension is a preventive measure while the investigation into the alleged anomalies continues.
