Wednesday, January 24, 2007 Palace rebuffs plea to stop suspension of local officials
MALACANANG on Tuesday said it cannot impose a moratorium on the suspension of local officials but it will try to accommodate the appeals of local officials on a case-to-case basis.
Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone and Ilocos Sur Governor Luis Singson have appealed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for a moratorium on the suspensions to dispel the growing political heat.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said there are cases when the suspension of local executives was ordered by the Ombudsman and not just by the interior department.
At the same time, Ermita said the election code has rules on the suspension of government personnel or officials during the six-month election period.
He was quick to add that the suspension of local officials would not necessarily stop at once because the decision of the Ombudsman has to be considered.
He said there were some cases where the police admitted going overboard and in those instances, they should be reprimanded by Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno. (JMR/Sunnex)
