Maliksi’s suspension stays, says DILG

The suspension of Cavite Gov. Ireneo "Ayong" Maliksi stays despite the motion for reconsideration he has filed with the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said yesterday.

DILG Undersecretary for Administration Melchor Rosales said the department was merely enforcing the Ombudsman’s order to suspend Maliksi for six months without pay in connection with the administrative complaint filed by Vice Gov. Juanito Victor Remulla against him.

In the complaint, Remulla accused Maliksi of grave abuse of authority in the purchase of 7,500 sacks of rice worth P7.5 million last October.

The other day, Remulla filed another complaint against the governor, this time for alleged graft and falsification of public documents, in connection with the purchase of P2.5 million worth of medicines in February 2003.

"We have to enforce the order from the Ombudsman, unless we receive another order (reversing the suspension)," Rosales said.

Rosales also clarified that politics had nothing to do with the graft charges against Maliksi.

With the suspension, Rosales said Remulla, brother of Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla, chairman of the House committee on public information, which is conducting an inquiry into the controversial "Hello Garci" tapes, is the acting governor. Another brother is Cavite Rep. Crispin Remulla.

Maliksi has accused the Remullas of conniving with Malacañang in working out his suspension, supposedly in exchange for the two Remulla congressmen’s not supporting the impeachment complaint against President Arroyo.

Rosales appealed to Maliksi to respect the rule of law as the governor still refuses to heed the suspension order. The governor’s supporters continued to barricade the provincial Capitol in Trece Martires City.