The Office of the Ombudsman has placed San Simon, Pampanga Mayor Abundio ‘JP’ Punsalan Jr. under preventive suspension for six months without pay in connection with two administrative complaints filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The cases stem from an August 5 entrapment operation in which he allegedly accepted P30 million that he had demanded from a Chinese-Filipino businessman.
‘Based on the evidence on record, it is preliminarily established that the guilt of [Punsalan] is strong and the charges against him involve grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service,’ stated the Ombudsman’s order dated Sept. 30, and signed by acting Ombudsman Dante Vargas.
Vargas added that the penalty for such offenses is removal from service.
The NBI, along with Real Steel Corporation representatives Irwin Chua and Melodie Arellano, filed the administrative cases after also charging Punsalan in the Sandiganbayan with robbery by means of extortion, violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act following the entrapment operation.
Real Steel Corp. president Irwin Chua alleged that Punsalan lowered his demand from P155 million to P80 million and sought an initial payment of P30 million in exchange for allowing the corporation to continue operating in San Simon and for not interfering with the implementation of local tax incentive ordinances.
Vargas said there was ‘enough basis to conclude that his continued stay in office may prejudice the just, fair, and independent disposition of the present cases.’ The preventive suspension was issued in accordance with Republic Act No. 6770, or the Ombudsman Act of 1989.
Reached for comment, the mayor’s counsel, Atty. Raymond Viray, counsel for Punsalan, said: ‘We will reserve our arguments for the court. What is important is that the Mayor is cooperating fully and is committed to clearing his name.’/coa/abc