MALACAÑANG has lifted the suspension of
Rodriguez, Rizal mayor Pedro Cuerpo until his appeal to reverse
the 60-day penalty imposed against him by the Rizal provincial
board has been decided with finality by the Office of the
President, Interior secretary Ronaldo Puno said Friday.
Puno, in an ambush interview at the 1st
Assembly of Association of Generals and Flag Officers, Inc. (AGFO)
in Camp Aguinaldo, said Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita
issued the order April 17 which his office immediately served
yesterday.
"The suspension has been suspended. We have
received a copy of the order from Malacañang. We're implementing
it as we speak.(Cuerpo) will go back (to his post), I think, as
soon as they are served with the copies," he said.
Puno said the move was prevent the provincial
resolution suspending Cuerpo from becoming moot and academic
should Office of the President decide to push through with the
suspension after reviewing the case.
The Rizal government issued a 60-day
suspension for Cuerpo last Feb. 11 after the mayor insisted on
collecting garbage tipping fees, based on a town ordinance, from
Metro Manila cities and private garbage haulers that are using
Rodriguez's 14-hectare sanitary landfill. Rizal governor
Casimiro Ynares III nullified the Rodriguez ordinance and the
provincial council suspended Cuerpo.
Cuerpo, who had been holed up in his office
at the Rodriguez town hall since March 24, emerged for the first
time yesterday morning, wearing a crisp barong Tagalog, to
attend the arraignment of two criminal cases against him
involving illegal demolition and his refusal to process a
bidding permit at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City.
Apparently not yet provided a copy of
Malacañang's decision, Cuerpo told reporters he is confident
that his appeal and the sentiments of his supporters have been
taken into account by Palace officials.
"Sa aking paglabas ngayon, ako ay naniniwala
na ang aking hinihiling, ang sentimyento ng mamamayan na ibalik
ang kanilang inihalal na punong bayan ay madedesisyonan na ng
Office of the President," he said.
He also thanked his supporters who have not
called off their vigil at the town hall.
Acting mayor Jonas Cruz had earlier filed sedition charges
against Cuerpo and his supporters at the provincial prosecutors
office for allegedly "planning and effectively carried out a
public and tumultuous uprising when he seized" the municipal
hall last March 24. Cruz's latest action this week was to send
Cuerpo a bill covering his use of electricity and water at the
town hall since that day. - Jocelyn Montemayor, Ashzel
Hachero and Christian Oineza
