Section 63. Preventive Suspension. —

1. Preventive suspension may be imposed:

   1. By the President, if the respondent is an elective official of a province, a highly urbanized or an independent component city;

   2. By the governor, if the respondent is an elective official of a component city or municipality; or

   3. By the mayor, if the respondent is an elective official of the barangay.

2. Preventive suspension may be imposed at any time after the issues are joined, when the evidence of guilt is strong, and given the gravity of the offense, there is great probability that the continuance in office of the respondent could influence the witnesses or pose a threat to the safety and integrity of the records and other evidence: Provided, That, any single preventive suspension of local elective officials shall not extend beyond sixty (60) days: Provided, further, That in the event that several administrative cases are filed against an elective official, he cannot be preventively suspended for more than ninety (90) days within a single year on the same ground or grounds existing and known at the time of the first suspension.

3. Upon expiration of the preventive suspension, the suspended elective official shall be deemed reinstated in office without prejudice to the continuation of the proceedings against him, which shall be terminated within one hundred twenty (120) days from the time he was formally notified of the case against him. However, if the delay in the proceedings of the case is due to his fault, neglect, or request, other than the appeal duly filed, the duration of such delay shall not be counted in computing the time of termination of the case.

4. Any abuse of the exercise of the power of preventive suspension shall be penalized as abuse of authority.