Manila: The Office of the Ombudsman suspended anew eight board members of Antique, this time for one year without pay.

According to Philippines News Agency, the suspension orders, dated March 7, were served Monday to the offices of Egidio Elio, Rony Molina, Victor Condez, Alfie Jay Niquia, Mayella Mae Plameras-Ladislao, Plaridel Sanchez IV, Kenneth Dave Gasalao, and Julius Cezar Tajanlangit for grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, and conduct unbecoming of public officers.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires, upon the recommendation of Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer III Leilani Tagulao-Marquez and Assistant Ombudsman-Proper Pilarita Lapitan, approved the 18-page decision suspending the respondents for their acts of deleting the budget for three solar projects included in the proposed PHP1.075-billion supplemental budget in 2024.

The decision highlighted that the respondents' act of giving zero funding for the solar projects undermined the local chief executive's power to exercise veto power, amounting to grave abuse of authority and grave misconduct. The Ombudsman ruled that appropriating zero amounts to solar projects cannot be justified as a faithful performance of their sworn duty.

The Department of Budget and Management clarified that an appropriation with zero amount is not valid, as a valid appropriation must authorize the expenditure of public funds, be it PHP1 or more.

The provincial board could not hold its regular session Monday due to lack of quorum. Of the eight respondents, only Elio was present but left upon learning of the suspension order, while four were attending a convention in Manila.

In August 2024, the same board members faced a six-month preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman over their action to delay the PHP1.07 billion supplemental budget of the province. They were reinstated following a writ of preliminary injunction issued by the Court of Appeals Fourth Division on Nov. 7 last year.