Cebu City Mayors. Current Mayor Mike Rama (left) and Tommy Osmeña (right). | file photos
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The former mayor of Cebu City, Tomas Osmeña, has something to say about the latest issue surrounding present mayor Michael Rama.
“I’m sad that I might not be able to vote against him,” Osmeña said.
Osmeña also called for Rama to step down as the president of the country’s City Mayors’ League, saying that the suspension order is an ‘an embarrassment to every city mayor in the Philippines.’
“Rama should resign as president of the City Mayors’ League as he is an embarrassment to every city mayor in the Philippines that he is their ‘model’ city mayor,” he said.
Recently, the Ombudsman ordered to put Rama under a six-month preventive suspension over a case that involved the city’s inability to pay the salaries of several of its employees.
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But according to Osmeña, the embattled mayor, who also happens to be his political opponent, may face another suspension.
“And a fourth suspension is forthcoming for destroying government property of the Cebu Port Authority. (His second suspension was also for demolishing the infraproject of Brgy Labangon.),” he said.
Osmeña also described the latest suspension order Rama faced as another embarrassment to Cebu City.
“Here in Cebu City, we have already gotten used to be embarrassed as this is his third suspension… No Cebu City Mayor has ever been suspended so Rama beats all the previous city mayors three versus zero,” he added.
The state’s anti-graft investigating body issued an eight-page resolution dated May 2, 2024, to put Rama and other seven City Hall officials under suspension for the complaint of grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a public officer and conduct prejudicial to the best interest among others.
The decision stemmed over a case that involved the reassigning of several city hall employees that resulted in the city government’s failure to pay them their wages for 10 months.
Rama’s camp has yet to comment further on the development, adding that they have not received a copy of the Ombudsman’s orders.