From left: Lawyers Mikel Rama, Collin Rosell, and Joselito Baena called for a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 10, to clarify rumors being circulated on the alleged dismissal of suspended Mayor Michael Rama from government service. | CDN Digital photo / Niña Mae Oliverio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — After shutting down the rumors about suspended Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama’s dismissal from service, his camp is now expectant that the “truth will prevail” in time.
Rama’s legal team, represented by lawyers Mikel Rama, Collin Rosell, and Joselito Baena, called for a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 10, to inform the public that they are already addressing the issue.
“All lawyers are expectant that [the] truth will prevail of which money can’t afford as it losses its value,” Rosell said, reading the legal team’s official statement.
READ: Rama dismissed from public office? Lawyers shut down rumors
Earlier, they already slammed reports that the state’s anti-graft body had allegedly meted Rama a penalty of dismissal from public office over the nepotism case filed against him.
On Tuesday, they said the “rumors spread like wildfire.”
Preventive suspension
They said that this was a repeat of what happened in May.
READ:Rama faces raps over alleged nepotic appointments
Rosell recalled that when the order for Rama’s preventive suspension was publicized on May 8, the respondents, including the suspended mayor, have not even received a copy of the Ombudsman’s order with its supporting documents yet.
Moreover, they said two weeks before the publication of the order, the people who are now running the City Government “already knew and disseminated the suspension of Mayor Rama up to barangay level.” But he did not mention any names.
“This time, the order of dismissal of Mayor Rama was personally and openly relayed with a claim to have read the said decision during the meeting of barangay officials called by the acting Mayor (Raymond Garcia) last Friday night,” Rosell said.
READ: Rosell: Panel of lawyers to address Mayor Rama’s nepotism case
CDN Digital tried to reach Garcia for his statement on this matter, but he is yet to send his reply.
Rosell said that they are currently addressing these rumors.
“Ang pagsulti sa mga di mao nga impormasyon nga mag una paka sa hustisya, sa husgado, ug sa Ombudsman, unsa may imong katuyoan?” he said.
When asked if acting mayor Garcia was behind the spread of these rumors, Rosell said it would be best to ask those who were in the meeting.
Motion for clarification
Baena said they already named the person concerned in the Motion for Clarification that they filed before the Ombudsman on Monday.
In their motion, he said that they also asked the Ombudsman to shed light as to how and why the said person claimed to have already read the decision and why he had access to it.
“Kanang nga istorya nga nanggawas in advance ang mga confidential information within our certain institutions, that degrades our trust,” said Mikel, suspended Mayor Rama’s son.
“Naa rana sa Ombudsman kung iyang kasuhan ang katong tawhana or dili,” Baena added.
The suspended mayor’s legal team said that despite the present situation, they continue to have trust in the ruling of the Ombudsman.
In 2023, a concerned citizen named Jonel Saceda, with an alias “Inday Josa Chongbian Osmeña,” filed complaints for nepotism, grave misconduct, and graft and corruption against Rama after he hired two of his wife’s brother-in-laws as casual employees at City Hall.
Last May, the Ombudsman also ordered to place Rama and seven other City Hall officials under a six-month preventive suspension for allegedly failing to pay the salaries of employees who had been reassigned from the City Assessors Office to other jobs. | with reports from Morexette Marie Erram, Senior Multimedia Reporter