Collin Rosell arrested

FORMER City Manager Collin Rosell arrived at Cebu City Hall on Friday morning, November 8, 2024, to defend his position and announce the return of ousted mayor Michael Rama, but left the building hours later, handcuffed and dragged by authorities.

Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) personnel, led by Colonel Antonietto Cañete, arrested Rosell for usurpation of power.

Rosell, along with suspended mayor Michael Rama and seven others last May, returned to City Hall for the first time since his preventive suspension and announced that the six-month preventive suspension issued by the Office of the Ombudsman had already expired on November 6.

Rosell occupied Rama’s office for nine hours after being banned from the City Manager’s Office in the morning.

Cañete said in a phone interview Friday evening that Rosell was busted for power usurpation following complaints from incumbent City Administrator Kristine Joyce Batucan and City Law Officer Santiago Ortiz.

This occurred after Rosell issued a memorandum to the Civilian Security Division claiming to be the city’s administrator.

Rosell was arrested around 6pm and detained at Police Station 3 and will only be released if there is a judge’s order.

“I have done nothing against you, you are all standing, staring. “I’m just sitting here, please broadcast this live, please broadcast it live… I have a lot of work to do here,” Rosell told officers as he resisted arrest.

The Cebu City Law Office (CLO) filed a blotter report with the Waterfront Police Station on Friday afternoon documenting the events alleging that Rosell barged into City Hall and exercised the powers of the City Manager without the approval of the Mayor. Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Ombudsman.

Takeover attempt

Before his arrest, Rossel tried to take over the Cebu City Hall in the morning hours, holding a press conference in the conference room of the mayor’s office in the administrative building and trying to break into his old office.

During the press conference, Rosell said his camps will file a complaint against Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, City Administrator Kristine Joyce Batucan, and DILG 7 Director Leocadio Trovela regarding violations of the Anti-Corruption and Corrupt Practices Act.

Rama’s side insisted that it had not received a copy of the Ombudsman’s Office’s decision removing him from office and permanently disqualifying him from public meetings, maintaining his position that the mayor had only been suspended for six months as a precautionary measure and had not been removed from office. office.

Five months after the Ombudsman preemptively suspended Rama, Rosell, his wife Maria Theresa Rosell, who runs the City Assessor’s Office, and five other staff members of the City Assessor’s Office were suspended for six months for allegedly failing to provide salaries to four City Hall employees on October 3. In de, another Ombudsman order was issued finding Rama guilty of gross misconduct and nepotism for employing his two brothers-in-law at City Hall, and awarded him impeachment and permanent disqualification from future public office.

Garcia, who was in his office in the legislative building while Rosell held a press conference in the executive building, told the media that he was following the rule of law recognized only by DILG 7 when he took office as mayor last October. 9.

Chaos

Rama’s supporters gathered at the administrative building around 9 a.m., chanting slogans for Rama’s return to office and demanding Garcia’s resignation.

Fans were carrying banners; some had inscriptions such as “justice prevails”, “mananapaw, do not take an invalid oath” and “bongkag lampinig”.

Garcia had to call the police, who arrived at City Hall minutes after the protest began.

Cebu City Police Office personnel barricaded the entrance of the administrative building and were assigned to maintain peace and order.

Cebu City Council Member Pastor “Jun” Alcover was also at the entrance and took video of the protest.

Tensions arose after the press conference when Rosell tried to enter his office, located next to the mayor’s office, but failed because some people had already entered the office and locked the door.

The confrontation broke out after a man in the manager’s office made harsh comments to one of Rosell’s friends as he insisted on opening the glass door.

When the man refused to open the door, a City Hall employee believed to be a supporter of Rama covered the door with clear tape, preventing those inside from leaving.

resume office

Rosell said Rama had officially ended his six-month preventive suspension and should resume office Friday, insisting the mayor is an elected official.

Rosell was with Cabaral, former Local School Board president Ian Hassamal, Ernesto Rama and Enting Esmeña during the news conference.

Rama was reportedly out of the country after posting a family photo of himself with his wife Malou in Paris, France, a few days ago.

Rosell insisted that Rama’s return was valid despite Garcia’s presence because the mayor had not been formally removed from office.

He added that the official copies of the dismissal and disqualification order from the Office of the Ombudsman, which went viral after Rama submitted his Certificate of Candidacy (COCs) last October 3, were not delivered or received by Rama’s camp.

Rosell said that when Rama’s legal team tried to confirm the Ombudsman decision in the Office of the Ombudsman and DILG 7, those agencies were not aware of the decision and had to write to their headquarters first for confirmation.

He added that Rama’s preventive suspension, which began on May 10, ended on November 6.

The six-month preventive suspension was equivalent to 180 days, which had already passed on Wednesday, Nov. 6, according to Rosell.

Rosell said Garcia’s oath was invalid, especially if the sheriff or any Ombudsman representative was not present at the time to serve Rama with the order of expulsion and disqualification.

He added that there was no need to encourage City Council members, City Hall staff and other government agencies to recognize Rama’s return.

Rosell challenged the other side to produce evidence that the Ombudsman’s dismissal decision had been served on Rama, arguing: “There is only one mayor, Rama is the real one, the other is fake.”

expenses

Former Office of Senior Citizen Affairs (Osca) chief Homer Cabaral claimed he sided with the Garcia camp after Trovela led the ceremonial swearing-in ceremony last month without ensuring that the impeachment order against Rama was properly carried out.

“Iyahang (Trovela) gibugal-bugalan ang katungod sa mga tawo, siya ang nagdala ve kagubot diri sa atung syudad. Mi-pabor si siya sa usa ka partido unya gilinla ang katawhan (He mocked the people’s rights, brought chaos to our city. He favored one party and deceived the people),” Cabaral said.

In response, Garcia said it was within the rights of Rama’s side to file a complaint, but questioned the merits of the complaint: “If a lawsuit is filed, will our court consider it?”

Garcia said Rama and his team had the right to question and protest his involvement, but emphasized that there were appropriate authorities and platforms to voice their issues and concerns.

“Please do not do it at City Hall because there is a lot of pending work that needs to be done and we are responsible to the people of Cebu City,” Garcia said.

“I am very consistent in our stance, the Ombudsman has a decision and he complied with it. There is a memorandum from the DILG for me to take office and be sworn in as a full-fledged mayor, which we complied with. This is all based on the rule of law,” Garcia said.

He also called on Rama’s camp, in concert with City Hall department heads, the CCPO and other relevant government agencies, to clarify with the DILG the discrepancy in his attendance, which he said confirmed the swearing-in ceremony.

Garcia said he had instructed police personnel to maintain “maximum tolerance” towards Rama’s supporters, emphasizing that this was within their constitutional rights to freedom of expression.

He said City Hall is a public place and it is within their rights to enter City Hall and its buildings.

However, Garcia assured that the next time this happens, he will be strict with those who carry out such activities, but it will be strict but with maximum tolerance.

“But when it comes to the administration, if they disrupt the work of City Hall, then I will now use my executive rights and call the City Hall security detail and the police,” Garcia said.

He added that he had to hold a meeting with World Bank representatives at the Mayoral Conference Hall for the implementation of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit, but he had to transfer the meeting to the Deputy Mayor’s office in order to avoid attending the meeting. It can disrupt the meeting and create tension.

In response to Rosell’s claims that he would return as city manager, Garcia said the Office of Human Resources and Development confirmed that Rosell had been terminated as one of Rama’s same employees.

An Oct. 21 statement from the Mayor’s Office said Rosell is no longer a City Hall employee because his position ended following the termination of appointee Rama.

nepotism

Complainant Jonel Saceda, or Inday Josa Chongbian Osmeña, questioned in a Facebook post on Friday why Rama’s team insisted on claiming that he was not dismissed because he did not receive any official copy of the order, thus invalidating Garcia’s participation.

Saceda stated that Rama and his lawyers requested re-evaluation of the case to the Ombudsman and added: “Requesting re-evaluation requires full knowledge and decision-making of the decision. So, how can they claim that they responded to the objection when they did not receive the money?”

“Are they trying to mislead the public by implying that they are unaware of the Ombudsman’s decision? The legal team, Rama and Baena Law Firm, even provided me with a copy of their Motion for Reconsideration. This shows that they were fully aware of the decision and its content,” Saceda added.

Ombudsman MOLEO Deputy Ombudsman Jose Balmeo Jr. Another copy of the Implementation Order dated October 2, 2024, signed by Visayas Deputy Ombudsman Dante Vargas, directed Visayas Deputy Ombudsman Dante Vargas to immediately impose penalties on Rama. /EHP