Caloocan mayor asks CA to block suspension order

Embattled Caloocan City Mayor Enrico "Recom" Echiverri has asked the Court of Appeals to prevent the Office of the Ombudsman from enforcing a suspension order against him. In a petition filed on Tuesday morning, Echiverri asked the appellate court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to block the suspension order issued by Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro. Echiverri's plea was raffled to CA 14th Division member Associate Justice Agnes Reyes-Carpio, the mother-in-law of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. The other members of the 14th Division are Associate Justices Fernanda Lampas-Peralta and Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla. Last Monday, the Office of the Ombudsman announced that it is placing Echiverri and three other officials under a six-month preventive suspension for allegedly failing to remit over P37 million in city employees’ contributions to the Government Service and Insurance System.

Aside from Echiverri, also ordered suspended were City Treasurer Evelina Garma, City Budget Officer Jesusa Garcia and City accountant Edna Centeno in relation to the same complaint. In his petition, Echiverri said the Office of the Ombudsman committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction in issuing the suspension order. The mayor said he should not be suspended because the offense was committed by his predecessors. He also questioned the timing of the issuance of the suspension order last July 17, 2011 which fell on a Sunday. - Sophia Dedace/KBK, GMA News