BAGUIO CITY — The Department of the Interior and Local Government will assess whether Noel E. Rosal can continue serving as governor of Albay following legal rulings that reportedly bar him from public office, according to Interior Secretary Juanito Victor C. Remulla.

The review comes amid mounting public calls to clarify Mr. Rosal’s legal status after decisions issued by the Office of the Ombudsman and the Commission on Elections (Comelec)that effectively disqualified him from holding public office.

In September 2024, the Ombudsman found Mr. Rosal guilty of grave misconduct over the unauthorized reassignment of several provincial department heads in 2022.

The anti-graft body said the move violated Civil Service Commission rules and disrupted the delivery of services in the province.

Despite the ruling, Mr. Rosal won in the May 2025 elections, but the Comelec canceled his certificate of candidacy in October 2025 due to the standing disqualification order.

Mr. Rosal also faced controversy after the Commission on Audit (CoA) upheld findings holding him and his wife, former Legazpi City Mayor Geraldine Rosal, liable for irregular cash assistance distribution during the 2022 election period.

CoA said the governor could not claim good faith, noting that his presence during the payouts was the “exact evil” the Omnibus Election Code seeks to prevent. — Artemio A. Dumlao

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