TRO issued on Pasay City vice mayor’s suspension

The Court of Appeals stayed Wednesday the six-month suspension order slapped by the Ombudsman on Pasay City Vice Mayor Antonio Calixto over a series of garbage contracts. Radio station dzBB reported that the appellate court's special division issued a 60-day temporary restraining order against the Ombudsman from enforcing the suspension on Calixto. The appellate court, however, has yet to decide on similar petitions filed by suspended Mayor Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad and 10 city councilors who were also ordered suspended. In his petition, Calixto said he should not be among those suspended because he did not sign the resolution allowing Trinidad to negotiate deals for garbage collection in 2004 and 2005. The deals prompted the filing of a case against Trinidad before the Office of the Ombudsman, which ordered the officials' suspension. But Trinidad's camp insisted the suspension was politically motivated, saying it likely came from Rep. Connie Dy, a supporter of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is reportedly running for mayor in 2007. Also, Trinidad's camp claimed the suspended mayor was a supporter of the late Fernando Poe Jr, Mrs Arroyo's closest rival in the May 2004 presidential elections. The appellate court also instructed the Ombudsman and the Department of Interior and Local Government, which supervises local officials, to explain the enforcement of the suspension order on Calixto. - GMANews.TV