a day ago
Nueva Ecija Gov. Umali appeals Ombudsman suspension order
'I respect the legal process, but I must make it clear that this case does not involve any criminal charge nor any issue of corruption, theft, or wrongdoing,' Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio Umali said in a statement. Photo: Provincial Government of Nueva Ecija on Facebook
Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio Umali on Sunday said that he is appealing the decision of the Ombudsman to suspend him for a year without pay, adding that the ruling stemmed from an interpretation issue and that the charges against him were politically motivated.
In a statement on his social media account, Umali said he already filed a motion for reconsideration which is now pending resolution, and that his camp will continue to go through the proper legal process.
'I respect the legal process, but I must make it clear that this case does not involve any criminal charge nor any issue of corruption, theft, or wrongdoing,' he said in a post on his Facebook account.
'This is purely a matter of legal interpretation and implementation of the law regarding the issuance of CSG permits,' he added.
This comes as the Ombudsman said it found evidence indicating that Umali is guilty of misconduct, due to the alleged illegal issuance of 205 quarrying permits without the required certificates from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
'It is important to emphasize that the complaint against me was politically motivated. The complainant is a well-known 'perennial complainant,' who has long been involved in political cases and is currently serving as a security aide to one of my strongest political rivals—an individual who has already publicly declared his intention to run for governor in 2028,' Umali said.
'No political harassment, no baseless accusations, and no unjust rulings will stop us from pursuing our shared vision of a strong, progressive, and just Nueva Ecija,' he added. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA Integrated News
