Tensions high at Cebu City Hall; Rama supporters demand his reinstatement

Police personnel stationed outside the Cebu City Hall on November 8, 2024. CDN Digital photo | Pia Piquero

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Tensions flared at Cebu City Hall on Friday morning, November 8, 2024, when suspended officials entered the premises without a permit and held a press conference.

At around 9 a.m. on November 8, supporters of dismissed Mayor Michael Rama gathered at the Senior Citizens Park, across from the Cebu City Executive Building, to rally for Rama’s return to office. 

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Approximately 50 individuals, many of whom were vendors, attended the gathering, carrying placards and banners that read “Fake Mayor,” referring to sitting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia,   and “Ibalik si Mayor Rama.”

Around 10 a.m., Rama’s legal counsels, attorneys Ernesto Rama, Collin Rosell, and Homer Cabaral, held a press conference inside the mayor’s conference room, despite Rama’s official dismissal from office. 

The lawyers reiterated their stance that Rama’s preventive suspension, initially imposed in May, was set to end on November 11. 

They claimed that Mayor Garcia’s assumption of office was invalid, stating that they had not yet received an official copy of the Ombudsman’s dismissal order.

The legal team also announced plans to file charges of corrupt practices against Garcia, City Administrator Kristine Batucan, and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Director Leocadio Trovela.

Suspended City Administrator Collin Rosell, one of Rama’s legal representatives, attempted to return to his office but was barred entry. 

Tensions escalated as Rama’s supporters demanded the office be opened, with voices growing louder as both sides held firm in their positions.

In a separate press conference on the same day, Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia reiterated that his assumption of office—first as acting mayor and now as the full-fledged mayor—was in compliance with directives from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). He said that his oath-taking followed legal obligations to complete the remainder of Rama’s term.

“I don’t want to add to the tension or drama; the DILG and the Ombudsman have been clear,” he said.

He urged that further disputes over the matter be addressed through proper legal channels to avoid disruptions at City Hall.

Alongside him, Cebu City Police Office Director Police Coronel Antonietto Cañete received instructions to exercise “maximum tolerance” with Rama supporters protesting without a permit, as long as they did not disrupt operations.

Garcia assured the public it was “business as usual” at City Hall, with daily functions proceeding unaffected despite the protests. He called on the Civil Security Unit (CSU) and police to maintain order while ensuring that public services remain uninterrupted.

He also addressed Collin Rosell’s claim to the city administrator role, pointing out that department heads and staff understood the legitimate chain of command. He explained that Rosell’s previous position was automatically vacated following Rama’s suspension, and any attempt by Rosell to re-enter City Hall was met with cautious tolerance to maintain public order.

Later in the day, tensions rose again when Cañete handcuffed Rosell for “usurpation of authority” after Rosell resisted orders to leave City Hall.

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