Cuerpo remains suspended - Palace

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang clarified yesterday that Rodriguez, Rizal Mayor Pedro Cuerpo is suspended while his case is still being studied.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita confirmed Cuerpo’s claim that an order for a stay of the suspension order issued against him by the provincial board of Rizal had been issued but this was never implemented.

“From what I recall there was a stay order that I signed but that stay order was not implemented by the Department of the Interior and Local Government. It was returned here for some legal reason and so it was not served officially,” Ermita said.

“Therefore, for all intents and purposes, Mayor Cuerpo is suspended according to the Sangguniang Panglungsod’s action,” he added.

The stay order was issued in April last year, two months after the provincial board of Rizal implemented its suspension order against Cuerpo.

Vice Mayor Jonas Cruz was designated as acting mayor but Cuerpo refused to step down because of the stay order from the Palace.

Tension erupted again in Rodriguez town when police, acting on the instructions of the provincial board, prevented Cuerpo from entering the mayor’s office.

Cuerpo said he would not leave the town hall until Malacañang issues a clarification on the issue.

Ermita said Cuerpo’s case is now being reviewed by the deputy executive secretary for legal affairs and that a ruling would be handed down soon.

“Any day they might come out with a position so that we do not have to entertain anymore whether he can stay or cannot stay but depending on the deliberation on the merit, a decision will be announced by the Office of the President,” he said.

“So in short, he is suspended, he remains suspended,” he added.

The Rizal provincial board suspended Cuerpo for illegally raising the fees for Metro Manila garbage haulers in order to dump garbage at the Rodriguez sanitary landfill.