2 Cebu mayors sacked amid election frenzy

SUSPENDED Mayor Jonas Cortes of Mandaue City (File photo) and Mayor Michael Rama of Cebu City (Photo by Nestle Semilla Dakay)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Two city mayors in Cebu, who are serving suspension orders, have been dismissed from government service by the Office of the Ombudsman, with the notices coming amid the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) for the 2025 elections.

The Ombudsman found suspended Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama guilty of nepotism and grave misconduct for appointing his two brothers-in-law to government posts. The antigraft office also ordered the dismissal of suspended Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes for grave misconduct when he allowed a cement batching plant to operate without the necessary permits.

READ: Rama to challenge Ombudsman ruling on nepotism case

Rama’s dismissal order, which carried perpetual disqualification from public service as a penalty, was released on Thursday afternoon, hours after he and his slate filed their COC at the Commission on Elections office here.

“[T]his Office finds Michael R. Rama guilty of nepotism and grave misconduct and is hereby meted the penalty of dismissal from service, which shall carry with it cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits except for accrued leave credits and perpetual disqualification for reemployment in government service,” the Ombudsman order said.

Rama of Team Barug Bag-ong Sugbo is running for mayor against acting Mayor Raymond Garcia of Kugi Uswag Sugbo (Kusog), Councilor Nestor Archival of Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan and former Customs Commissioner Yogi Felimon Ruiz.

The order was signed by Ombudsman Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer Myra Nimfa Solidum-Mendieta on Sept. 9 and approved by Deputy Ombudsman for Military and Other Law Enforcement Officers Jose Balmeo Jr.

The Inquirer tried to reach Rama on Thursday but he did not respond to text messages and calls.

‘Willful violation’

Rama earlier told the antigraft investigators that he was “surreptitiously made to sign” the plantilla of casual appointments for his brothers-in-law, Elmer Gimenez Mandanat and Gomer Gimenez Mandanat.

He insisted that he was “maliciously misled” by the Human Resources and Development Office into signing their appointments.

Elmer and Gomer are brothers of Marilou Gimenez Mandanat Rama, whom Rama married on Oct. 28, 2021.

Documents from the HRDO showed that Rama appointed Elmer as process server under the Office of the Mayor from Jan. 1, 2022, to June 30, 2022. Rama also appointed Gomer as administrative aide III (laborer II) under the Cebu City Medical Center during the same period.

On Feb. 28, 2023, Jonel Saceda filed a complaint against Rama for nepotism in violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019).

In the 15-page resolution, the Ombudsman said that Rama personally had a hand in the unlawful appointments of his brothers-in-law.

It said Rama committed “a patent and willful violation” of the law and rules against nepotism.

“And thus, a clear transgression of the norms and standards expected of him as a government official. Such issuance of nepotistic appointments pertained to the performance of his functions as mayor, with him taking advantage of his official position to benefit his brothers-in-law,” the Ombudsman added.

Not a surprise

In the case of Cortes, the suspended Mandaue mayor was found guilty of allowing a cement batching plant to operate in Barangay Labagon without the required business and environmental permits, despite its public disturbance and health risks to the community.

The Ombudsman decision said that while Cortes eventually ordered the city’s environment officer to inspect the plant, it came too late and focused only on environmental concerns and not the plight of the affected residents.

In his statement released on his Facebook page on Thursday afternoon, Cortes said the Ombudsman decision did not come as a surprise since his political enemies, whom he did not identify, had used their connections and power.

“But let me assure you, just as we have faced challenges before, we will not back down. We will exhaust every legal remedy to fight this battle because this is not just about me,” he said.

“It is about the trust you have placed in me and I will defend that trust with all I have,” he added.