Lawyer: Case vs Rama "nothing new"

CEBU, Philippines - “The recent filing of contempt raps against Mayor Mike Rama is nothing new.”

This is according to lawyer Jade Ponce, spokesperson of Rama for the Rallos case. He said the indirect contempt filed by Lucina Rallos against Rama and the City Council is the third contempt such case.

Reportedly, the other two were filed before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Cebu City. He added that the complaint filed by Lucina before the Supreme Court used the same arguments in her complaints filed before the RTC.

Ponce said this falls under forum-shopping, the ground which they will use in the contempt charges they are preparing against Lucina and her counsels.

Lucina had cited the City of Cebu's refusal to pay P133 million to the heirs of Rev. Fr. Vicente Rallos as payment for the lot in Sambag II that is being used as public road.

 “If and when forum-shopping will be established, it will ultimately result in the dismissal of all contempt cases that they have filed against the mayor and other officials. This in turn will lead to the eventual filing of administrative cases against her counsels that made forum-shopping possible,” the lawyer said in a statement to the press.

“These raps are nothing but pure gimmickry designed to keep them in the limelight and a poor attempt at propping up their weakening case. As my tagalog-speaking friends are fond of saying, bumenta na iyan!” he said.

Named respondents were Rama, Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young, Councilors-Sisinio Andales, Rodrigo Abellanosa, Alvin Arcilla, Raul Alcoseba, Nida Cabrera, Roberto Cabarrubias, Alvin Dizon, Ronald Cuenco, Lea Japson, Jose Daluz III, Edgardo Labella, Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, Augustus Pe Jr., Richard Osmeña, Noel Wenceslao, Edu Rama, Michael Ralota and John Philip Po and City Lawyers-Joseph Bernaldez, June Maratas, Jerone Castillo, Mary Ann Suson, Leslie Ann Reyes, Carlo Vincent Gimena, Ferdinand Cañete and Ismael Garaygay III.

In her complaint, Lucina said the decision has long been final and executory but the City of Cebu refuses to deliver the said amount.

Ponce said Rama is just protecting the money of the city. - THE FREEMAN