CEBU, Philippines – Former Cebu City mayor Mike Rama has posted bail of P270,000 before a local court in relation to a nepotism case, and faces a second dismissal order stemming from another case.
Rama, who is running for mayor in the upcoming polls, confirmed to media in a news conference on Tuesday, April 1, that his legal team had learned about the warrant for his arrest online and discovered that it was issued in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, on March 11.
The nepotism case stems from complaints filed by Cebu City resident Jonel Saceda in January 2023 who alleged that Rama unlawfully appointed two of his brothers-in-law to government posts.
On September 9, 2024, the Office of the Ombudsman found Rama guilty of nepotism and grave misconduct, ordering the dismissal of the now ex-mayor along with accessory penalties of forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification for reemployment in the government service.
On top of this, Rama’s office received another dismissal order from the Ombudsman, which found him guilty of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service for approving an anomalous awarding of contracts to three private companies.
“They are really after my neck. I am very succinct; candid. They should have killed me,” the former mayor said about the latest dismissal order.
Second dismissal
The Ombudsman’s second dismissal order is based on a complaint filed by a certain Jundel Bontuyan in August 2023, over Rama’s approval of deals with ARN Central Waste Management, ACM Hauling Services and Jomara Konstruckt Corporation for the collection of garbage in December 2021.
Bontuyan claimed that Rama and the city’s Bids and Awards Committee gave the contracts to the companies without a competitive bidding process. The Ombudsman, in a decision on January 3, ruled that the BAC and Rama’s actions violated procurement laws.
The respondents argued that the contracts were awarded as a result of circumstances brought by the impact of Typhoon Odette on Cebu City at the time. But the Ombudsman said that the BAC failed to properly vet the eligibility of the suppliers and that Rama approved the contracts without a formal endorsement from the BAC.
The Ombudsman ordered Rama’s dismissal, along with BAC members Leizl Calamba, Lyndon Basan, Conrado Ordesta III, Janeses Ponce, and Dominic Diño
In a Facebook post on March 31, Rama’s political party, Partido Barug, confirmed that the second dismissal order related to Bontuyan’s complaint was served on March 17 to the Rama Baena Tan & Ang law firm office who are working as Rama’s legal counsel.
The Ombudsman also ordered the filing of criminal complaints against Rama and the BAC members for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Still running
Rama said the latest developments would not deter his city hall comeback bid.
Rama filed his certificate of candidacy on October 3, 2024, only a few hours after news of his dismissal over the nepotism case broke on social media.
In October 2024, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) decision to disqualify Rama’s candidacy in the 2025 polls.
According to the official statement of Partido Barug, the former mayor’s lawyers have filed motions for reconsideration on both the criminal and administrative aspects of the Ombudsman’s second dismissal order.
“Only death can stop me from running,” Rama said at the media conference on Tuesday morning. – Rappler.com