Legal blow to Rama allies: Ombudsman junks 3rd case vs. Garcia

Mike Rama says lawyers will take care of next steps

Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia urged his critics to accept the rulings and focus on the city’s progress instead of pursuing politically motivated legal battles. | CDN Photo/ Pia Piquero

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has been cleared of a third complaint challenging his legitimacy in office, as the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed another case against him for lack of merit.

The latest dismissal is the third failed attempt to question Garcia’s assumption as mayor following the ouster of former Mayor Michael Rama.

The complaint was filed by former coterminous employees Vicente Esmeña and Teofilo Rosaroso Jr., who claimed they were illegally removed from their posts when Garcia took over.

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Lacked ‘palpable merit’

The Ombudsman ruled that their allegations lacked “palpable merit” and upheld Garcia’s authority as the city’s chief executive.

“Ang ila man gud stand kay ni-usurp pa daw ko kay [dili pa daw ko ang mayor], pero mao lage, the cases have been dismissed outright for lack of merit,” Garcia said in a press conference on March 24.

(Their stand really is that I usurped my position because [I still am not really the mayor], but this is the situation, the cases have been dismissed outright for lack of merit.)

Esmeña and Rosaroso, who both served under Rama, argued that the dismissal order against their former boss had not been properly served, making it non-executory.

However, the Ombudsman rejected this claim, citing Rule 3, Section 7 of Administrative Order 7, which states that its decisions are immediately executory unless overturned by the Court of Appeals.

The same argument was raised in an earlier complaint filed by former Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) head Homer Cabaral, which was also dismissed for lack of merit. An anonymous complaint questioning Garcia’s legitimacy was similarly rejected.

Previously, Garcia called on his critics to accept the rulings and shift their focus toward the city’s progress instead of engaging in politically driven legal battles.

“I urge everyone to respect the Ombudsman’s ruling and move forward in ensuring that City Hall remains focused on serving the people of Cebu City with efficiency, accountability, and good governance,” he said.

Lawyer will take care of it

When asked for his comment on Tuesday, March 25, Rama said his legal counsels would handle the matter and determine their “next step.”

“My lawyer will take care of the next steps,” he said in a text message.

CDN Digital has reached out to one of his lawyers, Collin Rosell, but has yet to receive a response as of writing.

Garcia assumed the mayorship in October 2024 after the Ombudsman found Rama guilty of nepotism and dismissed him from service.

Rama had been under preventive suspension since May 2024 before his removal. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), through Regional Director Leocadio Trovela, administered Garcia’s oath as full-fledged mayor.

Despite the string of dismissed complaints, Rama and his allies maintain that his removal was not final, as he had not received an official copy of the ruling. He is seeking a political comeback in the May 2025 elections under the Barug party, while Garcia is running under Kugi Uswag Sugbo.