Cavite mayor suspended without pay over alleged casino gambling

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November 12, 2026 | 3:54pm

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension without pay of Rosario, Cavite Mayor Jose Voltaire Ricafrente over allegations that he engaged in gambling at a casino.

In a statement on Thursday, November 12, the Ombudsman said it had imposed a preventive suspension of up to six months on Ricafrente.

The anti-graft body directed Ricafrente's immediate removal from his post pending the resolution of administrative charges of Grave Misconduct and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service.

The administrative complaint was initiated by the Ombudsman's Field Investigation Office I following an inquiry into the mayor's activities earlier this year. Investigators found that on March 14, 2026, Ricafrente entered a hotel casino in Bacolod accompanied by four individuals, where he allegedly played at a gaming table using P30,000 worth of casino chips and won P10,000 before leaving the establishment.

In justifying the preventive measure, the Ombudsman noted that strong evidence supports the allegations and that the offenses charged could warrant Ricafrente's dismissal from public service.

The body cited Office of the President Memorandum Circular No. 06, series of 2016, which strictly prohibits government officials and employees from entering, staying in or playing at gambling casinos.

The Ombudsman further stressed that allowing the mayor to remain in office could compromise the ongoing proceedings, pointing to his access to municipal records and potential influence over witnesses.

"Ultimately, it should be borne in mind that the issuance of a preventive suspension order does not amount to a prejudgment of the merits of the case," the Ombudsman order read, according to its statement.

"It is merely a preventive measure, a preliminary step in an administrative investigation and therefore not a penalty in itself,” it added.

The immediately executory suspension will remain in effect until the administrative case is resolved, provided that it does not exceed the statutory six-month limit.

A copy of the directive has been transmitted to the Department of the Interior and Local Government for immediate enforcement, with instructions to submit proof of compliance to the Office of the Ombudsman.