A mayor in Cebu who is facing graft charges for alleged falsification of restaurant receipts has been suspended for 90 days by the Sandiganbayan.
Mayor Efren Gica of Dumanjug, Cebu, was ordered by the anti-graft court’s Fourth Division on Wednesday to “cease and desist from performing and/or exercising the functions and duties, as well as receiving and/or enjoying the salaries, benefits and privileges of his current public position.”
The Department of the Interior and Local Government was ordered to implement the suspension order.
During his arraignment on Jan. 23, Gica pleaded not guilty. During the same hearing, the court ordered him to explain why he should not be preventively suspended.
However, Gica failed to submit an explanation within the given period of 10 days.
“Gica failed to file any answer to such Order despite the period of time given for him to do so; thus, the subject Informations are deemed valid… The Court holds that the suspension pendente lite [during litigation] on Gica for a period of 90 days is proper,” the court’s resolution read.
The Sandiganbayan explained that the 90-day preventive suspension for government officials facing graft charges is mandatory under Section 13 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Earlier the Ombudsman charged Gica with one count each of malversation of public funds and graft, and three counts of falsification of public documents.
The Ombudsman alleged at in 2014 Gica, who was the vice mayor at the time, bloated restaurant receipts by P10,000 “for his personal benefit.”
It was alleged that the original amount spent for the meals of attendees of a barangay assembly amounted to P11,435, but Gica secured a refund of P21,435.