He dares he be handcuffed, too: Rama: I’m back as mayor

“I am now assuming as the elected mayor of the city of Cebu.”

CEBU, Philippines — So declared former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama himself in a press conference yesterday with his supporters and City Council allies in attendance, as he declared his intent to report back and take over from the current mayor, Atty. Raymond Alvin Garcia.

He, however, did not say when he would start serving again as mayor.

Yesterday was his first public appearance after his church marriage honeymoon and the tension at Cebu City Hall on Nov. 8, when his supporters held a protest rally declaring his return and calling Garcia as “fake mayor.”

That day, Atty. Collin Rosell tried entering his old office. When he was barred from getting inside the City Administrator’s Office, he held “office” at the Office of the Mayor, which Garcia did not occupy, and ended up being handcuffed by the police for “usurpation of authority.”

Yesterday, Rama dared that they come get him and handcuff him, too.

“I am demanding you to come over here. Paposas ko,” he said.

Before Rama’s press conference began, a staff member sang the song ““Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree”, with portions of the lyrics changed with the words “he is back” as the “duly elected mayor” of Cebu City.

They also read a press statement where it was stated that upon his return from his honeymoon, Rama immediately went to Manila to take care of a few matters and stating that “he is back.”

Rama’s camp reiterated that the Sept. 9 decision of the Office of the Ombudsman to dismiss and perpetually disqualify him from government service due to nepotism had not been implemented, hence no vacancy of the mayoral seat happened.

In a one-on-one interview over Bilyonaryo News channel also yesterday, Rama stressed that the dismissal order that  the Office of the Ombudsman issued against him last Sept. 9 was illegal.

He said that even the complaint by four City Hall employees on the non-payment of their salaries for 10 months, which caused his six-month preventive suspension starting last May prior to his dismissal from service, he has not received any decision yet.

While he could have already returned this month after the six-month preventive suspension already ended, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed him from service last Sept. 9 for nepotism over his hiring of his two brothers-in-law at City Hall.

Rama had argued that the Ombudsman’s dismissal order was not served to him.

During the interview, he also called the order as “illegal” and that it is not final yet. He said only the Supreme Court could make the decision with finality.

Garcia, who served as acting mayor starting May 10 when Rama was suspended, assumed as full-fledged mayor on Oct. 9, with the Department of Interior and Local  Government-7 regional director as the one administering the oath, when the Ombudsman’s dismissal order came out.

Yesterday, Rama insisted that he did not commit nepotism.

“Walang nepotism…Bago yung kasal, nandyan na yun (brothers-in-law)...tatlong mayor na ang dinaanan…. They were already at the City Hall, they were all already employees,” he said.

Rama said no one in their bloodline worked at City Hall since 1992 as they have religiously obeyed the teachings of his grandfather, Don Vicente Rama.

“Yung lolo ko istrikto yun…We know the norms, we know what are the right thing to do in governance..We will not allow nepotism,” Rama said.

He also said that he had even turned down one time his mother’s request to accommodate a sister-in-law at City Hall.

The Ombudsman, though, found Rama guilty of nepotism because he still hired his two brothers-in-law from January to December 2022, after marrying their sister on Oct. 28, 2021.

Last Oct. 7, Rama filed a 36-page petition for certiorari and prohibition against the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to stop the implementation of Comelec Resolution 11044-A, whose contents include the immediate cancellation of all certificates of candidacy of a candidate with a disqualification order from the Ombudsman.

“Fake mayor”

Yesterday, prior to the press conference, Rama’s supporters chanted “FM,” which stands for “Fake Mayor,” as a direct challenge to the of the assumption of Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia as full-fledge mayor last Oct. 9.

Currently, Garcia functions as mayor at the office that he previously occupied as vice mayor, as he opted to have the Office of the Mayor at the Executive Building untouched when he took over as acting mayor on May 10.

That was when Rama served a six-month preventive suspension imposed by the Ombudsman on him, Rosell, Rosell’s wife Theresa, an five others over the non-payment of the salary of four employees for 10 months.

Atty. Mikel Rama, Rama’s son, then stated that it is only right that Garcia did not hold office at the Office of the Mayor because he “he doesn’t have the right.”

“Any act anang FM is an act of usurpation. Klaro kaayo ang legal nga baruganan nato nga kining desisyon nga grabe kaayo ilang paglinlang sa tawo, una-una og paghurar diha nga way basehan, wa gyud na silay katungod nga mulingkod dira sa opisina sa mayor,” said Mikel.

Rama, however, expressed gratitude that his office had not been touched since he left, as he said it it is not just any office, but the office of the people who elected him as mayor and placed him there.

“Modako na si MJ (Rama’s youngest son), unsa kaha iyang isulti no? Nga ang opisina sa iyang amahan, wala pa mamatay, way bakante, kay gipulihan gisiradohan pa gyud, gikandadohan pa gyud? Unsa pay pangitaon ninyo, iyang pagpangabuso, unsa pa may pangitaon? ” he said.

Previously, Garcia said that the vacated mayor’s office was locked to preserve its current status upon the arrest of Rosell in the same office. To Rama, though, it is a manifestation that Garcia and his camp are “not sure” of their position.

“Kay kung sigurado sila sa ilang porma, hilabti na akong opisina,” Rama said.

He, however, also accused Garcia of being “atat na atat” in taking over the position as city mayor. Currently, Rama’s photos at the lobby outside the Office of the Mayor have already been replaced with Garcia’s.

“Ila nang giilisadan nya ipabutang gyud niya iyang nawong. Kabaga sad niya’g nawong uy, pakauwaw man siya, angay na siyang badlungon,” said Rama.

Mikel also said that up until this point, there has been no clear implementation and execution of the Sept. 9 decision of the Ombudsman, when Rama was found guilty of nepotism. He added that whatever decisions Garcia has enacted, he will be held “accountable” for it.

Over the multiple pronouncements of his comeback, Rama, however, has yet to detail the exact date when he will return to holding office at Cebu City Hall.

He said, though, that as city mayor, anywhere can be his office.

Asked if he will be reporting to the Cebu City Hall already, he replied, “Nganong di man ko mu-report? Tagai kuno ko’g reason nganong di ko mu-report? I am now in Cebu City.”

Pressed for a date, Rama instead asked his supporters if they were willing to go back with him.

He, however, said that if he would be handcuffed, it would be as if the public who voted for him are also handcuffed.

“Abangan ang susunod”

As the press conference progressed, no exact details were provided regarding when Rama would start holding office at City Hall, but somebody from his camp said that it would be in “due time.”

His Bilyonaryo channel also did not elicit an exact answer.

“Abangan ang susunod. No matter what, it is like my home, that’s my office…Hindi naman ako nagrerenta, wala akong lease contract. Galing ito sa tao, sa mamayan, constituent ng Cebu City, sila po ang nagluklok sa akin, kaya babalik ako,” he said.

“I am going to stand, I’m very clean…The wicked flee, if no one pursue it..But the innocent is as bold as a lion..And I’m not an ordinary lion,” he added.

He also questioned by Garcia, his ally and runningmate in the 2022 elections, last election padlocked the Office of the Mayor.

“Buhay pa ako na mayor! Buhay pa ako, buhay pa..I’m elected mayor by how many? Over 200,000 to 300,000 (people) ….Ang termino ko for all legal intent, ang termino ko hanggang June 30 pa (of 2025)…Wala naman akong final judgment, final entry. that I am no longer the mayor…Wala naman sinasabing tapos na,” he further said.

Garcia, reacting to what Rosell did on Nov. 8, had said that Rama and the others could enter City Hall, as long as they do not disrupt the delivery of government services.

He also advised them that instead of creating tension at City Hall, they should bring their grievances to the appropriate courts and return with the appropriate orders, which he would obey, as he was just following orders and the law when he assumed as acting mayor and then as full-fledged mayor.— /RHM (FREEMAN)