Mike Rama confident suspension gets lifted

CEBU , Philippines —  Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama remained optimistic that his six-month preventive suspension will still be lifted, as his camp argued that its effectivity has become  functus officio  or that it has already served its purpose.

Despite being under preventive suspension, Rama has stayed involved in the preparations for the city's hosting of the Palarong Pambansa, visiting billeting quarters himself and interacting with organizers and the guests.

Asked about the status of his case with the Office of the Ombudsman, he said he has yet to check on its progress as he has been focusing on ongoing preparations Palaro, which is set to open tomorrow, July 9.

Rama had already petitioned the Office of the Ombudsman to lift the six-month preventive suspension imposed on him, City Administrator Collin Rosell, City Assessor Theresa Rosell, and five other City Hall officers.

 We will have to check with the Office of the Ombudsman because the focus of the Mayor and his team the past few weeks has been on providing the necessary support and assistance to make Cebu s hosting of the 2024 Palaro a success,  read Rama s statement made available to the media through lawyer Joselito Baena.

Despite having been suspended for more than two months now, Rama is still  optimistic  that his preventive suspension will be lifted as all the  documentary evidence and the sworn statements of the parties  are already with the Office of the Ombudsman.

Furthermore, Rama s camp also insisted that upon establishing the purpose of the preventive suspension and the filing all the facts needed by the Office of the Ombudsman on the investigation, the suspension has already become  functus officio  or that it has served its purpose.

 Then again, as Mayor Rama has said, the call of the times is unity in diversity. The focus of everyone ought to be on ensuring a successful hosting of Palaro and ensuring that the athletes and their families will have a memorable stay in Cebu,  said Baena.

Rama; Rosell and his wife Theresa; and five others were placed under preventive suspension due to the complaint filed by four City Hall employees over the non-payment of their salaries, among other reasons, for 10 months.

Under Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, the salaries have already been paid.

 It is not true that complainants' salaries were withheld from them. They were even partly paid as of 3 May 2024 before the Assailed (suspension) Order was issued,  Rama said in his manifestation.

He said that the complainants  deliberately omitted  in their complaint that when they filed their affidavit on February 23, 2024, they had already received part of the salaries and benefits they claimed to have not yet received.