Sandiganbayan’s 7th division ordered a 90-day suspension for Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao over a graft charge involving her alleged refusal to pay a provincial government employee his salary, transportation allowances, and other benefits from 2016 to 2018, amounting to P1.665 million.

“A preventive suspension is necessary to forestall the possibility that the accused may use one’s office to intimidate witnesses, or frustrate the prosecution of the case, or continue committing malfeasance,” the court said in a resolution approved on Sept. 21.

Under Section 13 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, suspension of any public officer is mandatory if the accused is charged with the said law or for any offense involving fraud upon government or public funds or property.

In the same resolution, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) was ordered to implement the preventive suspension of Cadiao.

“The Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government is requested to inform this court of the dates to which Provincial Governor Rhodora J. Cadiao started serving her preventive suspension and the date of its termination,” the court added.

The complaint against the incumbent Antique governor was filed by provincial general services officer Antonio Dela Vega.

Cadiao’s explanation dated Aug. 20 stated that she was informed by Dela Vega that he would execute an affidavit of desistance and that disbursement vouchers had been issued to prove her payment to him.

The court, however, declared that they did not receive the affidavit of desistance.