Following the suspension order released by the Office of the Ombudsman against Mariveles town Mayor Ace Jelo Concepcion, First Councilor Ronald Arcenal was placed as acting mayor since the incumbent vice mayor is on official leave abroad.

The Mariveles mayor was placed on preventive suspension for “Grave Conduct, Gross Neglect of Duty, Serious Dishonesty and Conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.”

However, Arcenal said that the Department of the Interior and Local Government has yet to issue an order designating him as acting mayor with the absence of incumbent Vice Angelito Rubia, who had filed a leave of absence from 20 February to 20 March 2024 as he went to Australia.

Should the six-month suspension order imposed by the Ombudsman against Concepcion will push through, Arcenal will be acting vice mayor for another six months.

To recall, Ombudsman Samuel Martires ordered the preventive suspension against Concepcion, which he said was immediately executory “notwithstanding any appeal or motion, appeal or petition that maybe filed by respondents seeking relief from this order unless otherwise ordered by this office or any court of jurisdiction, the implementation of this order shall not be interrupted within the period prescribed.”

The suspension order stemmed from the complaint filed by Hyatt Terminal and Industrial Corp. represented by Kurt Patrick Enriquez against Mayor Concepcion and four others — chairperson Florante Malimban, head of Business Permit and Licensing Office Erwin Villapando, Bureau of Fire head Armando Caños and Jeanette Dantay, head of the Sanitary Office.

Malimban, however, said that he has yet to receive any order from Ombudsman as of this writing but said he is ready to prove his innocence and he did not issue business permit.

Hyatt is the owner of the lease premises being used as an oil depo in barangay Alas-asin, Mariveles town, previously by Total Phil. Inc. and thereafter, Hyatt said in its complaint, illegally Filoil Logistics Corp. Filipinas Third Millenium Realty Corp. and Peninsula Land Bay Realty Corp.

After Hyatt terminated the lease contract with TPC, it had then requested from the office of the mayor that the business permit of PTC relative to Hyatt’s property should no longer be renewed.

But the Ombudsman said “respondents eventually issued the questioned clearances and permit” despite the issuances of the closure order.