Marikina City: Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro is set to continue his bid for the city’s first congressional district in the upcoming May 12 midterm polls, despite being suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman.

According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia clarified in an interview on Wednesday that Teodoro’s candidacy remains unaffected by the suspension as long as there is no final judgment by the courts regarding the cases he is facing. “The name of the candidate will remain in the ballots, can be voted upon, and can be proclaimed as long as there is no final judgment,” Garcia stated. However, he noted that the suspension would impact Teodoro’s role as city mayor.

The suspension, effective for six months, was ordered by the Ombudsman on March 25 for Teodoro and 18 other city officials. The charges include technical malversation, malversation of public funds, and violations under Republic Act 3019, known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. These allegations were brought forward by Marikina resident Sofronio Dulay, who accused the officials of misappropriating funds from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. for purposes unrelated to health.

In response, Mayor Teodoro described the suspension as political persecution, asserting that the charges were fabricated to damage his reputation. “In a desperate attempt to tarnish my name, they have filed numerous trumped-up cases against me since last year at the Ombudsman, COA, Comelec, Civil Service, and other government agencies,” he said in a statement. He also expressed concerns about the timing of the decision, which coincided closely with the start of the local campaign period.