Councilor installed as acting Laguna city mayor

LAGUNA, Philippines — The first councilor of San Pablo City in this province has been installed as acting mayor following the suspension of the vice mayor.

Councilor Carmela Acebedo assumed the post yesterday after the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) served the six-month preventive suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman against Vice Mayor Justin Colago.

Earlier, Colago assumed as acting mayor after Mayor Najie Gapangada Jr. was suspended on July 14.

Acebedo took her oath before Judge Luvina Roque after she received the DILG order on Monday.

The ombudsman said there were sufficient grounds to place Colago under preventive suspension for alleged grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Meanwhile, Gapangada’s suspension stemmed from a complaint filed by Colago for hiring job-order workers without following proper procedures.