Transfer of Rama’s cases opposed

CEBU, Philippines — Suspended Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama protested what he described as “suspicious” transfer to Manila his two other cases from the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas.

Rama said he received confirmation from the Ombudsman Visayas that the case filed by Jonel Saceda alias Inday Josa Chiongbian Osmeña in January 2023 against him for alleged nepotism has been transferred to the Ombudsman Central Office in Manila.

Rama expressed his opposition to the transfer of the said case as well as the other pending case filed by Jundel Bontuyan, citing alleged “suspicious pattern”. According to Rama, it is absurd to transfer these cases considering that the Ombudsman Visayas has already started conducting hearings and received pleadings.

“With the case already in full throttle, it would be absurd to make a last-minute change of venue,” Rama said in a statement.

In fact, the nepotism case is allegedly due for resolution anytime soon.

Rama stressed that the parties being from Cebu, the alleged act being done in Cebu, the facts being investigated in Cebu, and the case having already been initiated and tried by the Ombudsman Visayas are enough reasons to keep the case here.

He said that the haphazard transfer of the proceedings to Manila, especially when the Visayas Ombudsman has already conducted clarificatory hearings and received position papers, is highly prejudicial to him.

This is allegedly an infringement of his right to administrative due process considering that the OMB Visayas is in a better position to assess the credibility of the complaint.

He lamented how he was allegedly treated unfairly by the Ombudsman Manila when he was slapped with a six-month preventive suspension due to a complaint that he claimed to have no knowledge about.

Rama was referring to the case filed by the four regular employees that were not paid for 10 months. According to Rama, he did not get any notice from the Ombudsman informing him of a pending complaint. He allegedly learned about it when a suspension order was issued against him and eight other city officials named as respondents.

“Through this experience, it is of no surprise that Mayor Rama is treading lightly. Once bitten, twice shy. Undeniably, the surreptitious preventive suspension and the sudden overzealous interest in the cases against Mayor Rama bewails of suspicious pattern of behavior on the part of OMB Central. What pushes this apparent concentrated efforts against Mayor Rama is something only the OMB Central Office knows,” a statement from Rama’s legal team reads. –/FPL (FREEMAN)