Rama’s camp informs the council: Garcia subordinates the usurpers

CEBU Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and his team “illegally usurped” the office of deposed mayor Michael Rama.

This is the claim of the law firm representing the deposed mayor.

Rama Baena Tan and Ang (RBTA) Law Firm notified the Cebu City Council on Thursday, November 14, 2024 that it considers Garcia’s oath of office as full-fledged mayor on October 9 to be “illegal and void from the outset.” is invalid from the beginning).

RBTA Law Firm called Garcia the “deputy mayor” in its letter to the council.

“The purported swearing-in of Vice Mayor Raymond N. Garcia on October 9, 2024 is illegal and void from the outset; The Mayor, Deputy Mayor Raymond N. Garcia, and his subordinates are invalid in exercising their powers and functions because they are illegal usurpations. “The position of City Mayor Michael L. Rama and the arrest of the City Manager last November 8, 2024 have no basis in fact or law,” he said.

RBTA Legal’s letter does not mention Deputy Mayor Donaldo “Dondon” Hontiveros, Rama’s ally and running mate in the May 12, 2025 midterm elections.

Copies of the letter were also sent to the Cebu City Police Office, Police Regional Office 7, Department of Internal Affairs and Local Government (DILG), Cebu City, Mayor’s Office, and Deputy Mayor’s Office.

The letter follows RBTA Law Firm’s previous inquiry into the DILG Central Office regarding its role in implementing the Ombudsman’s decision.

reply

In his November 6, 2024 letter to the RBTA Law Firm, DILG Undersecretary Juan Victor Llamas explained that the Ombudsman’s decision of September 9 did not contain specific instructions for declaring the mayor’s seat permanently vacant.

The Ombudsman’s decision stemmed from a finding that Rama had appointed two of his wife’s brothers to City Hall positions in violation of civil service regulations.

The Ombudsman’s decision went viral after Rama filed his candidacy for re-election last October 3. The decision included his termination, revocation of eligibility, loss of retirement benefits, and permanent disqualification from public office.

‘We exceeded our authority’

Rama’s son Mikel, an attorney and partner at RBTA Law Firm, said in a phone interview on Nov. 14 that only the Office of the President or, by delegation, the DILG Secretary has the authority to announce a permanent position.

He alleged that DILG Central Visayas Director Leocadio Trovela overstepped his authority by ordering Garcia to assume the mayoral post.

“When Trovela instructed Garcia to be sworn in without any authority or anything, I don’t know how much authority he has as president and the tongue pagyud directing the Ombudsman. “So I don’t know why he did that,” Mikel said.

Trovela officiated as Garcia was sworn in as full-fledged mayor.

Hontiveros, who was elected as the first council member in the 2022 elections, became a full-fledged deputy mayor.

Mikel said his father’s team would file the necessary administrative cases against Trovela.

“This development now further strengthens the view that Trovela has indeed made a mistake for which he must answer,” Mikel said.

Mikel’s interpretation of Llamas’ response was that when the undersecretary asked Trovela for a memorandum of understanding to verify that the Ombudsman’s decision to declare the position vacant had been implemented, Trovela instead informed then-acting mayor Garcia to take the oath.

“Mao to na nipalag mi (That’s why we were against it), considering that a district manager does not have the authority to declare a permanent position in a local government unit, in a highly urbanized city like Cebu City,” Mikel said.

“So we had correspondence with the relevant agencies and it turned out that actually the DILG is not involved in this case,” he added.

The younger Rama said the reason Collin Rosell, along with his wife and the mayor-elect, returned to work as city manager after a six-month preventive suspension that began last May was because of their stance that it was illegal for Garcia to be sworn in.

“This is the basis for this because we have not received any approval for the implementation of the decision,” Mikel said.

Former city manager Rosell was arrested on Nov. 8, when he returned to City Hall and alleged usurpation of authority, and was detained for 18 hours at the Waterfront Police Station. He paid bail the next day.

Suspension

Before Rama was fired, the Ombudsman had issued a preemptive restraining order against him and seven city officials, including Rosell, last May 8.

This six-month suspension stemmed from allegations that officials had failed to pay salaries to four city employees for ten months.

The Ombudsman’s dismissal decision came before the preventive suspension period expires on 8 November. / J.P.S.