Ombudsman, DILG stand by Nueva Ecija governor suspension order

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Office of the Ombudsman said on Sunday that they stood by the six-month preventive suspension order they issued against Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio Umali despite a restraining order issued by the Court of Appeals' 11th Division.

In a statement, the Ombudsman explained that their office preventively suspended Umali, his wife and ex-Nueva Ecija Governor Czarina Umali, and Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Wilfredo Pangilinan for allegedly issuing 205 permits for sand and gravel extraction in the province without the requisite Environmental Compliance Certificate or ECC.

According to a DILG report, the order was served twice on the morning of May 22, 2024 - at the Office of the Provincial Governor in Cabanatuan and a second time at the New Provincial Capitol in Palayan City.

However, the Court of Appeals issued a resolution on the afternoon of May 22 in which the court granted Umali’s application for a temporary restraining order "partly on the basis of the indispensability of Umali’s office in connection with the delivery of services to his constituents." — DVM, GMA Integrated News