Raymond Garcia to take oath as Cebu City mayor after COC filing

Cebu City acting mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia answers some questions from the reporters on Monday, Oct. 8, at the Cebu City Hall. | CDND Photo by Niña Mae Oliverio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia is set to take his oath as mayor following the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman to dismiss suspended Mayor Michael Rama from public office.

Garcia said on Monday that the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision was served by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and was sent to the Office of the Mayor last October 3, Thursday.

Garcia said that since it was addressed to Rama, they instructed the Legal Office to deliver it to Rama.

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He also said that the Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) also received the copy on that day since HRDO would implement the order.

“In fact, I learned it from the HRDO,” Garcia said.

He said that he was told to take his oath as mayor, and he said it would take place after the filing of the Certificate of Candicacy (COC).

Furthermore, he said that operations at the Cebu City Hall would be “business as usual.”

Garcia said that since he assumed office as acting mayor in May, there were still some things that he needed to accomplish especially in the first 30 days.

“But I have already lapsed the 30 days, so all the functions already of the mayor is already in me. Ang kalahian lang gyud karon there is already a permanent vacancy instead of before when it was just a temporary vacancy kay it was a preventive suspension ra man ang ruling sa Ombudsman,” Garcia said.

(But I have already lapsed the 30 days, so all the functions already of the mayor is already in me. The difference is just that now there is already a permanent vacancy instead of before when it was just a temporary vacancy because the ruling of the Ombudsman then was just a preventive suspension.)

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He said that the preventive suspension was a temporary suspension which was only for six months.

With the Ombudsman’s decision, Garcia said that he would serve as mayor finishing the “unexpired” portion of Rama’s office.

Meanwhile, as for the status of some of the employees appointed by Rama, to which Garcia termed as “coterminus” the latter said that he would also be reviewing it.

The Civil Service Commission defines coterminus as “an appointment issued to a person whose tenure is limited to a period specified by law or whose continuity in the service is based on the trust and confidence of the appointing officer/authority or of the head of the organizational unit where assigned.”

Once he would officially sit as the mayor of Cebu City, Garcia said that he would exercise his power to appoint coterminus employees.

According to the data he obtained from the HRDO, Garcia said that the coterminus employees were around 30 to 40.

Meanwhile, Garcia said that with the present matter that Rama was facing, he believed that the latter would be seeking legal remedies.

“I wish him well regarding the process that he has to undertake. Of course I know it must be a very difficult situation for him. If it happens to me, I would also feel the same way,” Garcia said.

Garcia is set to file his COC tomorrow, October 8, and the position he would be running would also be announced by then.

Last October 3, on the day that Rama filed his COC to seek reelection as mayor, the members of the media here obtained the Ombudsman’s order dated Sept. 9 where they permanently disqualified Rama from holding any government position after they found him guilty of nepotism and grave misconduct.

The Ombudsman ruled that Rama’s acts of nepotism, specifically the hiring of his wife’s two brothers as casual employees in City Hall, violated multiple provisions of the Civil Service rules.

While the ruling is not yet final and remains open for appeal, it casts a shadow over Rama’s political future.

In a message to his supporters, Rama remained resolute despite the ruling, where he declared, “Tuloy ang laban!” (The fight continues). | with reports from Pia Piquero