Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia acknowledged her suspension on Tuesday in a social media post.

GOV. Garcia (FB)

“The Office of the Ombudsman has placed me under preventive suspension,” Garcia said.

“I respect the processes of the law, but I must respectfully disagree with both the basis and the necessity of this action.

“The issuance of the special permit in question was driven solely by the urgent need to address the critical water shortage that had severely affected the entire franchise area of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD), which includes Cebu City and seven other local government units.

“All decisions were undertaken in close collaboration with the affected local government units, as well as with the government agencies tasked to regulate environmental matters – namely, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB). It must also be emphasized that this course of action was carried out with the proper approval of the Provincial Board, which had earlier declared the entire Province of Cebu under a state of calamity due to the acute water shortage.

“Only by desilting the Mananga River could the situation be immediately alleviated and the water crisis addressed.

“There was no personal interest or malice involved – only a deep sense of responsibility to act swiftly in the face of the growing burden and suffering of the Cebuanos due to the dwindling water supply, not to mention the potential health hazards caused by the unavailability of clean water.

“It bears stressing that we were never given notice of this complaint, and thus were deprived of the opportunity to respond to Mr. Moises Garcia Deiparine’s baseless and malicious accusations.

“It is important to note that the complainant is a known political figure affiliated with partisan groups. We will allow the facts – not political motivations – to speak for themselves.

“My legal team is already taking the necessary steps to challenge this preventive suspension through the proper legal channels. I have full faith that truth and justice will prevail.

“To the people of Cebu: Please be assured that my commitment to serve you remains steadfast. No political maneuvering, no malicious attacks, and no unjust actions will ever deter me from fulfilling my sworn duty.

“In these times, let us stand together — guided by truth, united by purpose, and driven by our unwavering love for a strong and united Cebu.

“And to clarify a few key facts:

1. The complainant, Moises Garcia Deiparine, is the founder of the Duterte Riders Team and is openly affiliated with partisan political groups.

2. The suspension order was issued by Ombudsman Samuel Martires, a known Duterte appointee, and was released with barely two weeks before the elections.

3. The suspension is illegal, as it violates Section 261(x) of the Omnibus Election Code, which explicitly states that: Any public official who suspends any elective provincial, city, municipal, or barangay officer without prior approval of the Commission shall be guilty of an election offense.

This applies during the official election period, which for the May 2025 elections runs from January 12 to June 11, 2025 (Comelec Resolution No. 10902).

No Comelec approval was secured prior to the issuance of this suspension.

4. The Special Permit in question was issued only out of necessity — to address a critical water shortage affecting Cebu City and 7 other LGUs. This was done in full coordination with DENR, EMB, the affected LGUs, and with Sanggunian approval after the province was declared under a state of calamity.”