After 60-day suspension: Rama back in office

CEBU, Philippines - After being placed under a 60-day preventive suspension, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama will officially be reinsta-ted to his position as the mayor tomorrow, February 9.

February 9 is also the start of the election ban pursuant to Section 62 (c) of Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991.

“The mayor will be assuming on the eighth (of February). That’s a holiday. We plan to hold a mass of thanksgiving. I’m going to report to the mayor on the things that I have done in his absence.

I am going to make a written report and submit it to the mayor after the Mass,” said Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, who sat as acting mayor while Rama was suspended.

“We cannot deny the fact, when he says he is an ‘SM’ or a suspended mayor, I usually tell him that I beg to disagree because even if he is an SM, I would rather say that he is a serving mayor because even in the time that he is a suspended mayor, he took an active part particularly in the Sinulog and the International Eucharistic Congress,” he said.

Last December 10, officials of the Department of Interior and Local Government-7 implemented the preventive suspension imposed by the Office of the President.

The suspension stemmed from the administrative complaint of Labangon Barangay Captain Victor Buendia who alleged that Rama abused his authority and committed grave misconduct and oppression when he ordered the demolition of the median structure in the barangay last year.

Rama said he will attend today’s Mass and short program.

“I will just be there as being required and whatever will be necessary like checking, that will be included what I will be doing as far as what has been left and what has been done,” he said.

He said he has not been informed as to what will happen, but he will attend as required.

“Actually, I’m just taking that day as an ordinary day. I do not know what’s up being prepared by the people at the City Hall,” Rama said.

He said he did not feel that he was being suspended because he was involved in the preparation of the city’s hosting of the 51st IEC and the Mega Sinulog 2016, being the chairman of the Sinulog Foundation Inc.

He said he was also part of the preparation of the Misa de Gallo in December 2015 even after the suspension order was served and implemented.

“I felt that I was not suspended at all actually because I didn’t deserve the suspension, too,” Rama said.

Meanwhile, DILG hearing officer Isidro Barrios III granted the motion filed by the camp of Rama to completely suspend the proceedings.

The investigation on the administrative complaint of Buendia is set to resume tomorrow. However, Barrios said he granted the motion of lawyers of Rama because tomorrow is the start of the election ban as provided by the Local Government Code.

“This Office hereby grants the Urgent motion to completely suspend proceedings dated 04 February 2016 filed by respondent (Rama). The instant proceedings shall be held in abeyance until the end of the election ban for the May 9, 2016 National and Local Elections,” read the February 5 order of Barrios.

With this, Labella hopes there will be no more suspension orders served against Rama.

“We are looking forward that there will be no more suspension and I don’t think there is reason to suspend the mayor,” he said.

Aside from the Buendia case Rama, Labella and 12 councilors are facing another administrative complaint over the release of the P20,000 calamity aid to each of the 4,200 City Hall regular and casual employees last December 2013.

Barrios said he already submitted his decision on the complaint to the Office of the President last month, but he declined to divulge his decision in the recent interview with the local media.

However, Labella said no suspension will be served without the approval of the Commission on Elections.

Labella cited Section 1 of Comelec Resolution No. 10030 dated December 22, 2015 which bans any implementation of suspension except applying the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The Comelec resolution states that “from January 10, 2016 to June 8, 2016, the provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding, no public official shall, except upon prior written approval of the Commission, suspend any elective provincial, city, municipal or barangay officer.”

Also, Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code which states that there will be no suspension of any local elective official without prior authority from the Comelec except when such suspension is for the purpose of applying the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act within 90 days immediately prior to any election. — /BRP (FREEMAN)