MANILA, June 13 -- The Office of the Ombudsman has fined outgoing Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for her refusal to step down following the issuance of a preventive suspension order in April.

"(F)or defying the preventive suspension order dated April 23, the Ombudsman finds respondent Governor Gwendolyn Garcia guilty of indirect contempt, and is hereby imposed a fine of PHP30,000," the Ombudsman said in an order dated June 10.

The Ombudsman said the contempt ruling followed Garcia's failure to step down from the period she received the suspension order on April 29 until May 15 when a temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued by the Court of Appeals (CA).

"(D)uring the intervening period from 29 April 2025 to 14 May 2025, you (Garcia...