Ombudsman places Catanduanes vice gov under preventive suspension over cash aid mess

The Office of the Ombudsman on Friday ordered a 6-month preventive suspension without pay forf Catanduanes Vice Governor Robert Fernandez and 11 other Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) members over alleged grave misconduct and other related administrative offenses concerning the irregular utilization of the province’s P30.5 million Quick Response Fund (QRF).

The Ombudsman, in a statement, said the administrative complaints and subsequent suspension order stemmed from the respondents’ revision of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (PDRRMC)’s proposed utilization and allocation of the QRF by using P26 million of the P30.5 million QRF for distribution of cash assistance instead of goods following the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Uwan” in November 2025.

The complaints against the respondents were filed by Catanduanes Governor Patrick Azanza, who vetoed the action of the Fernandez and the others provided under the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ordinance by citing that the Joint Circular 2013-1 does not include cash assistance among the allowable immediate response activities.

“The Office finds sufficient grounds to preventively suspend herein respondents considering that there is strong evidence showing their guilt; the charges against them involve grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service which may warrant their removal from the service,” the nine-page Ombudsman Order dated May 22 read.

“Their continued stay in office may prejudice the investigation of the case filed against them; there is a need to preserve the documents and evidence pertaining to this case which they may have control and custody in order to avoid further commission of malfeasance and/or misfeasance in office,” the Ombudsman added.

Aside from Fernandez, others suspended by the Ombudsman include Sangguniang Panlalawigan members Josevan Balidoy, Giovanni Balmadrid, Jose Romeo Francisco, Alvin Rodriguez, Edwin Tanael, Lorenzo Templonuevo Jr., Arnel Turado, Dean Roberto Vergara, Tito Villamor, Santos Zafe and Rafael Zuniega.

Under the terms of the order, respondents are placed under suspension without pay for a period not to exceed six months pending the final termination of the administrative adjudication of their case. —VAL, GMA News