LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – Gov. Edcel Greco "Grex" Lagman of this province announced on Friday, Oct. 18, that he has been issued a preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman.
Lagman did not detail the reason of the suspension in his official Facebook account.
LAGMAN (FB)
He instead informed the department heads and offices that Vice Gov. Glenda Ong-Bongao will assume as acting governor at the soonest possible time.
“Good morning, dear department heads, assistant department heads, heads of offices: The event I was expecting has come to pass. I have received my preventive suspension order from the Ombudsman today. Therefore, VG Glenda has to assume as acting governor at the soonest possible time," Lagman said.
Lagman assured that work in the provincial government will not be affected by the suspension.
He was suspended months after self-proclaimed "jueteng" (an illegal numbers game) bagman former barangay captain Alwin Nimo of Barangay Anislag, Daraga, Albay filed a graft case against him before the Ombudsman for allegedly receiving "payola" (grease money) when he was still the vice governor.
Nimo accused Lagman of receiving a total of P8 million in bribes from illegal gambling operators.
Lagman was elected vice governor in the May 2022 elections and became governor in December 2022 by succession when the Commission on Election (Comelec) disqualified Gov. Noel Rosal for election violations.
Nimo has yet to issue a statement as of posting time.