Malacañang emphasized on Friday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not interfere in the preventive suspension of Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, which was imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro stated that the President wants the rule of law to prevail.

"Ang pananaw po ng Pangulo ay laging kung ano ang dapat sa batas," said Castro.

"Hindi po natin gagamitin ‘yung excuse na pamumulitika. Maaari siguro na may mga issues patungkol sa pamumulitika. But still ang Pangulo, ang gusto lamang po niya ay masunod kung ano ang sinasabi ng batas," she added.

In a separate statement, Marcos underscored the importance of upholding the rule of law and due process, particularly since the suspension was issued just over a week before the midterm elections.

On April 29, the Ombudsman has officially ordered the dismissal of Lagman after finding him "guilty of grave misconduct" for receiving protection money from "jueteng" operations.

In a 15-page decision, the Ombudsman concluded that Lagman received a total of P8.1 million in illegal payoffs from jueteng operators in the Bicol region between 2019 and 2022.