A suspension order was served against the mayor of Minglanilla, Cebu on Monday, February 2, 2026, arising from an administrative case involving the alleged non-issuance of a permit.
The order includes the vice mayor and councilors who served in the previous term.
In what could be a first for any implementation of such orders by the Ombudsman, all the town officials received the written order in person, collectively at the Municipal Session Hall, contrary to the usual scene where the implementing officers would have to leave the order with the staff or stick the order on the wall.
“Today, a suspension order was served against myself, Vice Mayor Lani Peña, and all councilors who served in the previous term,” Minglanilla Mayor Rajiv Enad said in his Facebook account.
Enad said that the suspension order stemmed from a case regarding their decision on concerns affecting residents of Sitio Napo, Barangay Guindarohan where “ground cracks were observed and assessed to pose potential landslide risks.”
“I am sure that this development come as a shock to many, especially you, my beloved people whom I have served with utmost sincerity. But such is the life of public service, and politics: Sometimes doing what is hard and doing what is right are the same thing. If this is what I get from protecting Minglanilla, if this is the price of doing what’s right for my people, I would still stand firm with my resolve,” Enad added.
The mayor underscored that he respects the Office of the Ombudsman and the processes of the country’s institutions and will exhaust all legal remedies available.
“For now, I will be away from my office for a full year, but I will be back, with the same intensity of love that I have for all of you, Minglanillahanons, and with the same firm commitment that I have for the betterment, and protection of our town,” Enad added.
“In the meantime by operation of Law, Lheslen, our first councilor, will take the reins as mayor, and Councilor Mulot Laput will be our vice mayor. All the seats at the Council, meanwhile, will be vacant for a year unless otherwise legally filled in,” he said further.
SEPARATE CASE
When asked whether the suspension had any connection to his public refusal to allow the use of a landfill in Minglanilla for Cebu City’s garbage, Enad clarified that the administrative case is separate and distinct from the recent discussions on solid waste management.
He explained that the case relates to municipal actions taken in response to safety concerns affecting residents of the abovementioned barangays.
“Public service is not about convenience or self-preservation,” Enad said.
“It is about making difficult decisions guided by what is right. Even when the consequences are personal, my responsibility is to stand by what protects the people I serve and to face these challenges through the proper legal process.”
The suspension imposes a one-year penalty and stems from a complaint filed several years ago by private entities associated with the operator of the Minglanilla landfill.
Local officials noted that multiple similar cases filed by the same group in the past had already been dismissed, with this case being the only remaining unresolved matter.
Enad declined to discuss the merits of the case in detail, stating that the issues involved are now properly addressed through legal channels.
He emphasized, however, that the municipal actions cited in the complaint were undertaken in the exercise of regulatory authority and with the primary objective of protecting public safety and the general welfare.
The service of the suspension order came days after Enad attended an emergency meeting on January 22 at the Capitol, convened by Governor Pam Baricuatro, where officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), including Secretary Raphael Lotilla, as well as representatives from the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), DENR 7, and Cebu City officials discussed Cebu City’s solid waste situation.
During the meeting, Minglanilla was identified as one of several areas being considered as a possible temporary option for waste disposal, a proposal which the Mayor declined publicly.
Municipal officials also noted that, during the presentation, reference was made to the existence of a pending administrative case involving the mayor, although it was unrelated to the subject matter of the meeting.
Enad did not comment further on this point.
Enad reiterated that his refusal to host waste from outside the municipality was not intended to offend any party but was grounded on the Municipality’s duty to protect its environment, water sources, and the welfare of its residents.
Although not widely known to the public, certain contractual obligations under the Memorandum of Agreement governing landfill operations particularly those relating to conditions precedent are yet to be complied with.
He underscored that he will respect the legal process and exhaust all remedies available under the law to address the suspension, while ensuring that municipal services remain uninterrupted for the people of Minglanilla.
"I respect the Office of the Ombudsman and the processes of our institutions," Enad stressed.
