No order yet from headquarters, ombudsman

By: Niña Mae Oliverio – 2 hours ago

Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama’s office, which usually has a lot of people coming and going to conduct transactions, is almost empty on Thursday, May 9, a day after the Ombudsman suspended the mayor for six months. CDN Digital Photo | Nina Mae Oliverio

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Department of Interior and Local Government’s office here (DILG-7) is still awaiting orders from the Central Office regarding the preventive suspension order imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman against Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.

DILG-7 spokesperson, Attorney Michael Maxino Bandal, said in a telephone interview that the regional office had not received any letter or order from the headquarters as of Thursday, May 9, 2024.

“Wala man pud mi naka you will receive a letter for implementation. I don’t know whether this is the responsibility of the ombudsman. Basig naa sa Central (Office) ba. There is no guideline, no basis for implementation. “Maghuwat rami sa Ombudsman or Central Office,” Bandal said.

(We haven’t received a letter about implementation. I don’t know where it is The ombudsman sent it. Maybe it’s the headquarters. If we don’t have a policy, we have no basis for implementation. We’ll just wait for the ombudsman or headquarters.)

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman on May 8.

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Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama has been suspended for six months

Rama was suspended for, among other things, serious misconduct, conduct unbecoming a public official and conduct detrimental to the welfare of children. The decision arose in a case involving the transfer of several city hall employees, which resulted in the city administration not paying them their wages for ten months.

In a separate follow-up with DILG Cebu City, the agency said it had also not received any order from the national offices as of Thursday.

Around 9 a.m. the same day, the mayor’s office, where people usually come and go to conduct transactions, was almost deserted as Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama’s legal team seeks redress of the situation.

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