Coup de grace

A dramatic political incident involving the physical custody and possession of a Toyota Hi Ace Super Grandia happened last Friday at Cebu City Hall. I dare to describe such incident, apparently trivial though it might be, as a coup de grace. Atty. Michael Lopez Rama, who was duly elected as Cebu City mayor in the 2022 elections but against whom the Ombudsman reportedly issued a dismissal order and Atty. Raymond Neri Garcia, who was also duly elected as Cebu City vice mayor in the same 2022 polls but who was likewise reportedly directed to assume as city mayor following the supposed dismissal of Atty. Rama, were the personalities involved. Even if the internet quotes the Cambridge English dictionary definition of coup de grace as action that ends something that has been gradually getting worse, I still believe that this term can be applied with equal force and meaning to the opposing thoughts of Attorneys Rama and Garcia.

Let us first view the position of Atty. Garcia because he, being the sitting city mayor, appeared to have set in motion what I described above as dramatic political incident. As the chief executive of the city, Atty. Garcia is theoretically in administrative control of all city assets both real and personal properties. If we talk of personal properties, as defined by our laws, we must consider the Toyota Grandia which was accordingly bought by the city, as among such assets. It might have been acquired for the use of the office of the mayor and the mayor at that time was Atty. Rama, yet the city owned and continues to own it, not the mayor.

When Atty. Garcia took his oath of office and assumed as city mayor, whatever legal question was there to resolve, it became his sworn duty to make sure that the subject car was used officially. Also together with Atty. Garcia’s assumption as city mayor, the temporary authority of Atty. Rama, to use the Toyota Grandia ended. So, as reported, the assumptive mayor tried to recall the car. It was his job.This was in 2024 yet. There were notices (demands, I suppose) sent by the city legal officer for Atty. Rama to return the vehicle but the latter just ignored the notices.

The increasing animosity of the two former allies is still getting more vitriolic. I see that the recovery of the Toyota Grandia from the possession of Atty. Rama, is really more than just a legal matter. It is a tactical political ploy. In the past months, candidate Mike Rama had been on defensive mode. Issues had been raised to embarrass him. Surprisingly, this Barug mayoral bet seemed to have parried the blows. To the KUSUG camp there is a need to buttress its claim that Atty. Rama cannot reclaim City Hall anymore. The demand to deprive him of the use of the expensive Toyota Grandia is a defamatory coup de grace.

Atty. Rama has been in political limelight for more than 30 years. Aside from being criticized as a loquacious tallker, he has not been accused of an act of corruption that he could not defend. The complaint of four employees of not being given their salaries and the nepotism case both of which resulted in Atty. Rama’s suspension and dismissal did not show any peso of the city’s coffers lining his pocket. These are but administrative matters and certainly no graft issues that would anger the citizenry. He looks though like rolling with the punches the rope-a-dope way Muhammad Ali did.

In fact, Atty. Rama has seemingly succeeded to project himself as oppressed. I think this is his political strategy --to be shown as the underdog or DEJADO. I must entertain the thought that the publicized demand raised against him to return the Toyota Grandia is at the top his propaganda heap. No matter how l evaluate it, this is Atty. Rama’s advertisement coup de grace.