Mike Rama defiant after Ombudsman ruling: ‘Do not be swayed’

Dismissed Mayor Michael Rama | CDN Photo/ Pia Piquero

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Dismissed Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has urged his supporters to remain calm after the Office of the Ombudsman upheld its ruling that found him guilty of nepotism and grave misconduct.

In a Facebook post on February 19, Rama said he has confidence in the Supreme Court (SC), where he has filed a petition questioning the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction over his case.

“To all my supporters and followers, do not be swayed! I already filed with the Supreme Court last Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, asking the Supreme Court to invalidate the entire proceedings in the Ombudsman for lack of jurisdiction and violation of my constitutional right to speedy disposition of cases,” Rama wrote.

He also criticized the Ombudsman’s delayed resolution of his motion for reconsideration, calling it a “belated and desperate attempt” to render his SC petition moot.

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Legal battle moves to SC

In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, Rama reiterated that the case is now out of the Ombudsman’s hands and solely within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.

“Tua na sa Supreme Court na. I don’t know how the Supreme Court will appreciate nga nag-una man akong petition kaysa sa ilang desisyon,” he said.

(It’s already with the Supreme Court. I don’t know how the Supreme Court will interpret it, considering that my petition was filed before their decision.)

On February 10, Rama filed a petition for mandamus and prohibition before the SC, seeking an urgent issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and a Writ of Preliminary Injunction against his dismissal from office.

He argued that the Ombudsman’s delayed ruling violated his right to a speedy resolution of cases.

Ombudsman upholds ruling

The Office of the Ombudsman denied Rama’s motion for reconsideration and reaffirmed its Sept. 9, 2024, ruling that found him guilty of nepotism and grave misconduct.

As a result, Rama remains permanently disqualified from holding any government position. He also faces the penalties of dismissal from service, cancellation of eligibility, and forfeiture of retirement benefits, except for accrued leave credits.

The Ombudsman’s ruling, dated Jan. 15, 2025, underscored that Rama’s appointment of his wife’s two brothers—Elmer and Gomer Mandanat—as casual employees in Cebu City Hall violated Civil Service Commission (CSC) rules on nepotism.

Rama’s defense rejected

Rama had argued that he merely performed a ministerial duty by signing the appointment documents, which had already been vetted by the Human Resource Development Office (HRDO), the Accounting Office, and the Budget Management Office.

He further claimed that he had a large extended family and that it was unreasonable to expect him to be aware of every relative working in government to avoid nepotism violations.

However, the Ombudsman remained firm, ruling that Rama’s arguments failed to absolve him of liability.

The office reiterated that nepotism laws strictly prohibit the appointment of relatives within the third degree of affinity, a rule that applies to his in-laws.

“The subject nepotistic appointments pertained to the performance of respondent-movant’s functions as Mayor. Being a patent and willful violation of the law, it constitutes a clear transgression of the norms and standards expected of him as a government official,” the ruling stated.

Comelec awaits final ruling

Meanwhile, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Region 7 Director Francisco Pobe clarified that the final decision on Rama’s candidacy rests with the Comelec Central Office.

He also revealed that Rama has a pending disqualification petition before the Comelec en banc. If the ruling goes against him, he can file a motion for reconsideration and, if necessary, elevate the case to the Supreme Court—following the same legal course taken by dismissed Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.

Previously, Comelec issued Resolution 11044-A, which mandates the immediate cancellation of candidacies for individuals disqualified by the Ombudsman.

However, on October 22, 2024, the Supreme Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in favor of Rama and Cortes, temporarily blocking the resolution’s implementation.

On January 3, 2025, the Comelec en banc formally disqualified Cortes for material misrepresentation. On January 20, Cortes secured another TRO from the Supreme Court, preventing the removal of his name from the official list of candidates before printing ballots. /clorenciana