IF THERE is such a title as "Most Suspended Mayor," the chief executive of Guagua is likely to win it.
Incumbent Mayor Dante Torres is currently serving his third suspension, which took effect last May 29 and ends in August.
As this developed, Torres said his political opponents in Guagua are cooking up another case against him to get him suspended anew.
"All this is politically motivated," Torres said during the Capampangan in Media (CAMI) forum at the Bale-Balita in Clark Freeport on Friday, June 29.
Torres said his series of suspensions has adversely affected local governance.
The third suspension is a preventive one, Torres said, and not a penalty as the first one he was given in 2016 for signing a marriage document which he allegedly did not officiate.
The current suspension is based on charge of technical malversation that apparently has something do with a public infrastructure in the town plaza.
Torres said that his second suspension, also a preventive one, was also for alleged technical malversation involving the town's slaughterhouse.
He said he had nothing to do with the project.
The two preventive suspension orders were issued by the Ombudsman.
Despite the suspensions, however, Guagua has been a consistent awardee for good local governance for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017.
"We have already won three Seal for Local Good Governance awards," Torres said, "and working on the fourth one."
His team's effort at making Guagua stands out in local governance is being stymied by the suspension which he described as pure political power.
"It's just a thirst for power but unfortunately they cannot win it through election so they're doing it some other ways," he said.
He said does not have mobile phone because he has been getting death threats through it.
Torres is convinced that influential and moneyed politicians in the province are supporting the move by his rivals to oust him.
Torres envisions converting his town from a first-class municipality to a city but admitted the town's population size does not meet the requirement yet.
Guagua is considered one of the wealthiest towns because of its vast fishing industry which Torres described as "underground economy".