Ombudsman suspends Catanduanes guv for 6 months

Cua was in Metro Manila when lawyer Zalman Uddin, DILG legal department chief, served the Ombudsman suspension order at around 11 a.m. at his office at the Catanduanes Provincial Capitol in Virac town. (File Photo: Governor Joseph Cua/Facebook)

LEGAZPI CITY — The Office of the Ombudsman suspended on Friday Catanduanes Governor Joseph Cua for a period of six months pending an investigation on the charges against him for alleged abuse of authority, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service, dishonesty and grave misconduct, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Bicol said.

Cua was in Metro Manila when lawyer Zalman Uddin, DILG legal department chief, served the Ombudsman suspension order at around 11 a.m. at his office at the Catanduanes Provincial Capitol in Virac town.

Uddin also served a DILG memorandum order to Vice Governor Sherley Abundo designating her as acting governor effective immediately.

The DILG memorandum directed Abundo to perform all the duties and functions inherent to the Office of the Governor.

Atty. Anthony Nuyda, DILG regional director, in his memorandum order suspending Cua, said the order was in compliance with the decision of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon imposing a preventive suspension during the pendency of OMB-LA-18-0-319 case entitled “Rey Mendez VS Gov. Joseph Cua and Mayor Eulogio Rodriguez.”