CPA chief accepts 6 months suspension

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Port Authority (CPA) General Manager Francisco Comendador III said he will comply with the preventive suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman and will consult his legal counsel on possible remedies.

In an official statement, Comendador said he would follow the Ombudsman’s directive to ensure the integrity and impartiality of the investigation.

“In compliance with the order of the Ombudsman and to ensure the integrity and impartiality of the investigation, I will abide by the directive,” he said.

He added that he is currently consulting his legal counsel to determine the appropriate legal remedies available to him.

The Ombudsman ordered Comendador’s preventive suspension for up to six months in connection with an administrative complaint filed by Oriental Port and Allied Services Corporation (OPASCOR) accusing him of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty.

The complaint stemmed from allegations concerning the operation of the Cebu South Harbor and Container Terminal Corporation (CSHCTC), particularly the docking and cargo operations of vessels at the private commercial port.

OPASCOR alleged that Comendador allowed vessels to use CSHCTC despite restrictions under CPA Administrative Order No. 02-2010, which provides that private commercial ports may accommodate vessels and cargoes in cases of spill-over demand, emergency, necessity, or congestion at CPA-operated ports.

The Ombudsman said it found the evidence against Comendador strong at this stage of the proceedings but emphasized that it was not yet ruling on the merits of the complaint.

The preventive suspension was imposed as a precautionary measure while the administrative case is being investigated.

The order is immediately executory. — /MRM (FREEMAN)