Ombudsman suspends San Simon mayor anew over extortion case

The Office of the Ombudsman has once again suspended San Simon Mayor Abundio “JP” Punsalan Jr., just a month after his return to office.

The latest six-month preventive suspension stemmed from administrative cases filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and RealSteel Corp., accusing Punsalan of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Punsalan was arrested on 5 August 2025, after the NBI conducted an entrapment operation for allegedly demanding P30 million in “extortion money” from RealSteel Corp., a steel manufacturing firm operating in San Simon.

Authorities detained Punsalan for nearly a month before he returned to office. However, new evidence submitted by the NBI prompted the Office of the Ombudsman to issue another suspension order against him.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has been directed to immediately enforce the suspension order pending the outcome of administrative proceedings.