Ombudsman suspends Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama and seven officials for non-payment of salaries

Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama says he has not yet received a copy of the Ombudsman’s order

CEBU, Philippines – The Ombudsman imposed a six-month preventive ban on Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama, seven city officials and the entire local government over unpaid salaries and discrimination against four employees.

In a resolution dated Wednesday, May 8, Ombudsman Samuel Martires suspended Rama and Cebu City officials Collin Rosell, Maria Theresa Rosell, Francis May Jacaban, Angelique Cabugao, Jay-Ar Pescante, Lester Joey Beniga and Nelyn Sanrojo.

“The available evidence demonstrates the respective involvement of the respondents… relative to the complainants’ unpaid salaries since July 2023 and the discrimination/oppression suffered by the complainants,” the document says.

A preventive suspension is part of the process of an administrative investigation. The Cebu City officials remain suspended pending the outcome of the verdict on their case. However, this cannot exceed six months without payment unless the delay in disposing of the case is due to their fault, negligence or request.

The case stems from complaints filed by Filomena Atuel, Maria Almicar Diongzon, Sybil Ann Ybañez and Chito Dela Cerna on February 23 at the Office of the Ombudsman – Visayas Area Office in Cebu City.

In their joint affidavit, they accused Rama and the officials of, among other things, bribery, corruption and serious abuse of office.

In June 2023, all complainants received memorandums notifying their reappointment from their previous posts to new positions in which they were assigned menial tasks far removed from their previous supervisory roles.

“We vehemently disagreed with the said memoranda and held them to be illegal and invalid as they violated the law and amounted to constructive dismissal,” their affidavit said.

In June 2023, the employees filed an appeal against Rama with the Central Visayas Office of the Civil Service Commission (CSC). Nevertheless, the mayor had the reallocations carried out immediately.

On October 12, 2023, decisions by CSC Central Visayas Director Carlos Evangelista declared the staff reassignments invalid.

“Despite the decisions made in our favor and the instruction of CSC Director Evangelista, respondent Rama has still not and has not yet returned us to our original appointments, duties and functions. More importantly, defendant Rama has not released the unpaid salaries and other benefits for our benefit from July 2023,” the affidavit said.

Mayor’s response

Rama told Rappler on Wednesday evening that he had not received a copy of the complaints or a copy of the Ombudsman’s decision.

“I can’t comment on this because I have no idea,” the mayor said in a statement posted on the Cebu City Public Information Office’s social media page on Wednesday afternoon.

– Rappler.com