Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said she is not stepping down despite an order by the Ombudsman for her six-month preventive suspension.

Garcia stood by her position to remain in office despite the preventive suspension against her on April 29, 2025.

A  copy of the order was posted on the door of the Office of the Governor at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.

The preventive suspension stemmed from a complaint filed by one Moises Garcia Deiparine that alleged Garcia for grave abuse of authority, gross misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross negligence, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and violation of Republic Act 6713.

Garcia and her legal team, led by Atty. Rory Jon Sepulveda and Atty. Anthony Avisado, have prepared the legal remedy and a query for clarification sent to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) tasked to implement the preventive suspension.

Garcia, in a press conference on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, said that the preventive suspension has “no basis.”

She said she will continue serving her constituents within the bounds of law. 

"Pending resolution of my query, I have decided to stay put in office and continue to serve as governor of this great province of ours," Garcia said during the presscon. 

Her legal counsels questioned the legality of the suspension order issued during the election period.

The legal team emphasized that graft is not a ground in the preventive suspension.

Based on Deiparine’s complaint at the Anti-Graft Office, Garcia issued a special permit to a construction company on May 14, 2024 without an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), or at least a Certificate of Non-Coverage (CNC), from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The governor’s camp described the Ombudsman to have been "misled" into believing the special permit involved quarrying, when in fact it was for desilting.

The legal team emphasized they could have explained to the Ombudsman on the issuance of a special permit had the governor been given the opportunity to answer.

However, Garcia did not receive any notice of the case.

GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak is yet to get a comment from the agencies involved in the said issue.