SAN PABLO, Laguna — San Pablo City has a new acting mayor after the Office of the Ombudsman also suspended the acting mayor who had been serving for only two weeks following the earlier suspension of the city’s elected mayor.
First Councilor Carmela Acebedo officially assumed office as acting mayor on Monday after the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) served the six-month preventive suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman against Vice Mayor Justin Colago.
Acebedo had previously served as acting vice mayor after Colago assumed the post of Acting City Mayor on July 14, 2026, when Mayor Najie Gapangada Jr. was placed under a six-month preventive suspension.
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Colago’s suspension stemmed from a complaint filed by Gapangada before the Ombudsman, accusing the vice mayor of maintaining ghost employees.
In an Order dated July 22, 2026, signed by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, the Office found sufficient grounds to place Colago under preventive suspension while he faces charges of grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
The Ombudsman ruled that there was strong evidence indicating Colago’s possible liability and said his continued stay in office could prejudice the investigation and compromise the preservation of documents and other evidence related to the case.
Meanwhile, Mayor Gapangada remains under a six-month preventive suspension over a separate complaint filed by Colago, alleging the mayor hired highly paid job order employees and reassigned department heads without following proper procedures.
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