Then Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia opens the virtual Sinulog in 2022. | File photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Suspended Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has not given up yet on his latest clash against Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
Rama’s camp confirmed on Sunday, June 9, that they received a copy of the order from Malacañang that dismissed his request to have Garcia preventively suspended for meddling in City Hall affairs for lack of merit.
READ MORE: Malacañang will not suspend Gwen; says Rama’s request lacks merit
But this development, according to the mayor, does not mean it’s already over as the governor was still directed to respond to the complaint lodged against her before the Palace. In turn, he also appealed to the governor and other concerned parties to cooperate with the proceedings.
Due process
“Mayor Rama is hopeful that the matter will be resolved by the Office of the President with steadfast dedication to fairness, transparency, and due process,” they wrote in a statement sent to members of the media.
READ: Rama asks Malacañang to suspend Gwen over CBRT dispute
“As stewards of our constituents’ interests, it is paramount that all public officials adhere to the highest standards of accountability and transparency. Mayor Rama underscores the significance of due process and the rule of law in resolving such issues,” they added.
READ: Gwen orders to halt Cebu BRT construction in heritage buffer zones
Meanwhile, Rama said he will keep “fighting for Cebu City’s autonomy and defend it from encroachments.”
“Together, we will fight to keep Cebu City a bulwark of freedom and good governance, and we will stand firm in our principles,” his camp said.
It can be recalled that Rama lodged a formal complaint before the Office of the President, asking the country’s most powerful official to dismiss Garcia from public office for intervening in city government matters.
He cited, among other reasons, the governor’s orders to stop works of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for heritage reasons.
While Cebu City is the capital of Cebu, it is independently governed from the provincial government.