Michael Rama 鈥擬IKE RAMA/ FACEBOOK
CEBU CITY 鈥� Dismissed City Mayor Michael Rama is facing another legal obstacle.
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered another dismissal from service, Rama鈥檚 second in three months.
This time, the former mayor was found liable for awarding three purchase orders for garbage collection and disposal to three private firms without conducting a competitive bidding process.
The Inquirer tried to reach Rama for a statement but he had not responded.
But his wife, Malou, took to Facebook her sentiments regarding her husband鈥檚 second dismissal from the service, saying the setback was yet another tactic used by his political enemies to stop his reelection bid.
Rama, she added, would continue to campaign and run in the May 12 elections.
鈥淒o not be worried about the recent development. That is just a tactic of our opponent,鈥� Malou said in Cebuano.
鈥淭hey want to destroy Mayor Mike Rama. But more people are instead drawn to Partido Barug Bag-ong Sugbo Team Rama. The fight continues,鈥� she added.
In an order dated Jan. 3, 2025 but was released only on March 28, the anti-graft office found sufficient basis to hold Rama liable for grave misconduct.
The order also applied to five former members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) 鈥� Leizl Jacobe Calamba, Lyndon Bernardo Jao Basan, Conrado Acha Ordesta III, Janeses Bordario Ponce, and Dominic Amigable Di帽o.
鈥淰erily, because of respondents鈥� grave misconduct, ACM Hauling Services, Jomara Konstruckt Corp., and ARN Central Waste Management Inc. derived unwarranted benefit, advantage, or preference from the contracts awarded to them,鈥� the anti-graft office said.
The decision was signed by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officers Myra Nimfa Solidum Mendieta and Roseann Claudine Pasion, reviewed by Preliminary Investigation and Administrative Adjudication Director Nellie Boguen-Golez, and approved by Deputy Ombudsman Jose Balmeo Jr.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Jundel Bontuyan on Aug. 11, 2023, alleging that Rama and members of the BAC issued three purchase orders for garbage collection and disposal to Jomara Konstruckt Corp., ACM Hauling Services, and ARN Central Waste Management Inc.
According to the Ombudsman, misconduct is the transgression of some established and definite rule of action, a forbidden act, a dereliction of duty, willful in character, and implies wrongful intent and not mere error in judgment.
When the elements of corruption, clear intent to violate the law, or flagrant disregard of established rules are manifest, the public officer shall be liable for grave misconduct, it added.
鈥淚n this case, there is sufficient evidence to adequately conclude that the elements of corruption and flagrant disregard of established rules are manifest when respondents awarded the contracts to ACM Hauling Services, Jomara Konstruckt Corp., and ARN Central Waste Management Inc. 鈥�,鈥� the Ombudsman said.
The recent Ombudsman decision was just the recent in the series of legal debacles being faced by Rama.
In May 2024, the Ombudsman ordered a six-month preventive suspension on 聽Rama and seven other government officials of this capital city pending an investigation of their alleged failure to pay the salaries of at least four employees for seven months.
Rama started serving his six-month preventive suspension on May 10, 2024. Still, before he could fully serve it on Nov. 6, the Ombudsman issued another order on Oct. 3 dismissing him from the service for nepotism and grave misconduct for appointing his two brothers-in-law to government posts.
Rama鈥檚 dismissal order carried a perpetual disqualification from public service.
Five days after the Ombudsman鈥檚 order came out, the DILG installed Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia as the new mayor of Cebu City.
Rama went to the Supreme Court (SC) and challenged Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 11044-A that mandated the cancellation of all Certificates of Candidacy of aspirants who have been slapped with a penalty of disqualification by the Ombudsman so he could seek reelection.
The SC en banc issued a temporary restraining order, stopping the Comelec from disqualifying Rama while the high court reviewed the case against him.