Former mayor claims ‘usurpation’: Rama to sue Garcia

CEBU, Philippines — The next time former mayor Michael Rama and Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, estranged political allies, see each other may be in court.

This, after Rama, whom the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed and perpetually disqualified from holding any government position after a six-month preventive suspension, announced through a press conference yesterday that he would file complaints against Garcia for alleged “usurpation” of his authority.

In the same press conference, Rama reiterated that up until this writing, his camp has yet to receive a copy of the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman that ordered his dismissal from service and perpetual disqualification from holding any public office.

“The long overdue…cases against sa mananapaw…file all case available, that is my direction,” Rama said.

“Long overdue cases. Better late than never. Against Raymond Garcia,” he added.

Rama, however, did not specify what specific complaints he would file against Garcia except by saying “all cases” and that they have “substantial” legal foundation for the complaints.

He said they would finish all preparations today for the filing of the complaints.

“I have not done anything illegal…. Why should I deserve this prosecution?” the former mayor said.

He said he sees himself as a “decent man” who was not treated well.

He narrated that he was not served properly his copy of the Ombudsman decision, narrating that he was being interviewed by the media inside his residence when his wife told him that there was a group of policemen outside their house.

According to him, the policemen were accompanied by the “chief of police” and “a city attorney.” Shortly after, Rama said, the policemen deployed in his premises were no longer there.

“That’s why I felt I was not treated decently,” he said.

When asked on what grounds Garcia usurped his authority, Rama said he was the “elected mayor” and was chosen by the people.

Atty. Ernesto “Estong” Rama, one of his legal counsels, said that among their basis in insisting that Rama should return as city mayor upon the conclusion of his six-month preventive suspension on Nov. 10 is because he is the duly-elected mayor of Cebu City.

“Kanang ni-assume karon, does he have the mandate of the Cebuanos? He does not have…. Mao na among legal basis,” Ernesto said.

Atty. Mikel Rama, the dismissed mayor’s son and one of his legal counsels, also insisted that legal decisions such as that of the Ombudsman’s does not carry an immediate execution and implementation mandate.

Mikel said there is supposed to be an instruction for the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), which should consist of an order of implementation and other endorsements, with the Ombudsman decision serving as the last attachment.

“Pangutan-a naa ba ning mga papela. Kami wala mi kita,” he said.

Asked on the scrapping of his “Singapore-like with Melbourne features” branding for Cebu City, Rama admitted that he felt hurt upon hearing Garcia’s pronouncement.

“Pagkatoytoy sa mananapaw, he has no right to do that. He has not been elected by the people,” Rama said.

He explained that that tagline was decided upon after a series of processes, but added that it was an “aspiration” and not a vision for Cebu City, and that he never said the city should be likened to Singapore and Melbourne.

“Mao na akong gikasuk-an. Pwerte namong kampanya apil pa siya (Garcia), sayaw-sayaw pa siya. Unsang klaseha sa utok na. Wa man nako na siya pugsa og sayaw, Singapore-like,” he said.

When Garcia took his oath of office as a full-fledged mayor last Oct. 9, among the changes he announced is the discontinuation of Rama’s tagline, including the dancing by City Hall department heads and employees to its jingle every flag-raising ceremonies and City Hall events.

“Because I want Cebu City to have its own identity. Cebu City is not Singapore and in fact we have been longer, as a civilization, compared to Singapore,” Garcia had said, adding that he would rather have Cebu called as a “premiere city” in Asia.

Sought for his reaction on Rama’s announcement, Garcia, in phone interview, said that he was just following the rule of law when he took his oath of office as mayor in a permanent capacity last Oct. 9.

Garcia took this oath before Department of Interior and Local Government-7 Regional Director Leocadio Trovela at the Vice Mayor’s Office Conference Room in Cebu City Hall.

“It was affirmed by the DILG, the alter ego of the President. Di lang ko mo-comment ana,” the mayor said.

Rama, alongside seven other Cebu City Hall officials, including then city administrator Collin Rosell, was slapped with a six-months preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman last May 8.

This stemmed from the complaint of four Cebu City Hall employees who were not paid their entitled wages and other receivables for ten months. Rama was served his copy of the order, a day after and Garcia assumed the position of acting mayor on May 10.

Rama is supposed to return as mayor on Nov. 11, but last Oct. 2, the Office of the Ombudsman found Rama guilty of nepotism and grave misconduct over the hiring of his two brothers-in-law and imposed on him the penalty of dismissal from service.

The decision also ordered the cancellation of Rama’s eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits except for accrued leave credits, and perpetual disqualification for reemployment in government service.

Both Garcia and Rama had filed their respective Certificate of Candidacy as candidates for Cebu City Mayor in the 2025 elections. — /RHM (FREEMAN)