San Simon mayor suspended anew

The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended anew San Simon Mayor Abundio Punsalan Jr. for six months, just a month after he returned to office following a previous arrest.

The latest preventive suspension stems from administrative cases filed by the National Bureau of Investigation and RealSteel Corp. 

Charges against Punsalan include Grave Misconduct, Serious Dishonesty and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service.

To recall, Punsalan was arrested on 5 August 2025, after the NBI conducted an entrapment operation. Authorities accused the mayor of demanding P30 million in “extortion money” from RealSteel Corp., a steel manufacturing firm operating in the Pampanga town of San Simon.

Punsalan was detained for nearly a month following the arrest. The ombudsman issued the new suspension order after reviewing new evidence submitted by the NBI.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has been directed to immediately enforce the suspension order while administrative proceedings are pending.