To maintain peace and security: Cops remain at Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines — Two days after the tension and commotion at Cebu City Hall following the arrest of former city administrator Collin Rosell last Friday, the area remained heavily guarded by police personnel on Monday as the vacated mayor’s office was also padlocked.

Cebu City Mayor Raymond Garcia stated that this heightened security presence might be the norm for the entire week to ensure the safety of City Hall.

Several police officers were stationed at entry points, with police mobile cars on standby along the nearby streets. Police shields, typically used during protests and crowd control situations, were also visible, though not in use.

Inside the mayor’s office, the lights were turned off, and from outside the door, the belongings of former Administrator Rosell, including his laptop, were still visible on the table. This was the aftermath of his arrest in the same office last Friday on charges of usurpation of authority and resistance and disobedience to an agent of a person in authority.

To preserve its current status, Mayor Garcia told reporters that they decided to lock the vacated mayor’s office pending the investigation of the complaints lodged against Rosell. According to Garcia, locking it is part of the standard operating procedure for investigations.

As of yesterday, Garcia said that the sitting city administrator, Attorney Kristine Joy Batucan, was spearheading the filing of the complaint, particularly the usurpation of authority.

As for the presence of the police force, Garcia said that with what happened last Friday, the police are just being “cautious.” He added that such security measures are being implemented to ensure peace and order at the Cebu City Hall.

Rosell’s arrest stemmed from the memorandum he issued to the Civil Security Unit (CSU) declaring his comeback as Cebu City Administrator alongside the return of former Mayor Michael Rama last November 8.

In a press conference that their camp initiated on that same morning at the City Hall’s conference room, they claimed that their six-month preventive suspension had already ended, thus questioning the validity of Garcia’s ascension as full-fledged Cebu City Mayor.

The decision of the Ombudsman came out last October 2, 2024, that dismissed and perpetually disqualified Rama from government service after having been found guilty of nepotism. With this, the service of Rama's appointed staff with coterminous status, including Rosell, also ended.

Garcia, for his part, said that should such same commotion happen again inside the City Hall, his direction is still to enforce maximum tolerance.

“If there are any laws that are violated especially when it comes to our criminal laws or penal laws, then I will leave that now to our police to handle,” Garcia said.

He added the police personnel deployed in the area may have to be there until the end of the week. As the CSU has a new head, Ariel Iboran, Garcia said he already ordered them to beef up the security in the City Hall to replace the police personnel onwards.

On the same day last Friday, before Rosell’s arrest, a group of supporters of Rama gathered in front of the City Hall’s executive building.

Their chants expressed that Garcia is a “fake mayor” and that Rama is the rightful one. Rosell also said in an interview that they have yet to receive the decision of the Ombudsman that dismisses and perpetually disqualifies Rama from government service thus Rama’s mayorship still stands after the six months preventive suspension.

After this, a standoff between Rosell’s staff and the current staff inside the Cebu City Administrator was also caught in a heated argument after Rosell attempted to enter the office but to no avail after they found out that it was locked.

According to Garcia, the local police force headed by Police Colonel Antonietto Cañete just implemented security around the City Hall to make sure that peace and order is being observed.

“My instructions to him (Cañete) dapat di mabalda ang operations diri sa city hall kay we are serving the public and public service has to be delivered to people…business as usual,” said Garcia.

Further, Garcia also said that an investigation is being launched to find out if any active City Hall employees joined the rally initiated by the supporters of Rama.

Garcia said he had already given instructions to the City Administrator, the Cebu City Legal Office, as well as the Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) to investigate if there were any employees who “violated” the law including contractual employees.

“If after the investigation naay makit-an nga mga empleyado nag nag violate sa atong Revised Penal Code or sa atong Specia laws then they will be charged accordingly. If naay mga uban diha nga they have violated our civil service laws, then they will be also charged accordingly so depende ra gyud na,” said Garcia.

He admitted that he even heard a report that a “consultant” for the City Hall even joined the rally.

As to the speculations that Rama will return to the City Hall, Garcia said he will not be barring his entry to honor his rights as a “private citizen” adding that he can always “comeback”.

Garcia also emphasized that his mayorship in a full-fledged capacity is already a settled matter as he took the oath of office before the presence of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-7 Regional Director Leocadio Trovela.

Cañete as CCPO chief the right choice

Meanwhile, Mayor Garcia feels that choosing P/Col. Cañete as the Cebu City Police Office Director was all worth it.

This following the warrantless arrest made by Cañete himself of former City Administrator lawyer Collin Rosell last Friday allegedly for “usurpation of authority” at the Cebu City Hall.

Mayor Garcia acknowledged P/Col. Cañete during the City Hall’s regular flag ceremony yesterday, calling the latter “Man of the hour.”

Garcia expressed no regrets for choosing Cañete as the new CCPO chief replacing Police Colonel Ereneo Dalogdog.

“Pirti gyud ni ka sikat..Ug wa gyud koy pagbasol ug pagmahay nga ato siyang gihimong pirmanente nga Cebu City Police Office Director,” Garcia said.

Garcia officially signed the recommendation for Cañete, also a lawyer, as the CCPO director late September over four other prospects.

“Please give him a round of applause,” Garcia added during yesterday’s flag raising.

Cañete defends action Vs Rosell

Meanwhile, Cañete, in a press conference at the Cebu City Hall after the flag raising ceremony, defended the action taken against Rosell.

“Under our law, especially rules of Court nato, even private citizen can effect arrest if a crime is committed,” Cañete said.

Cañete was told that personally arresting Rosell was an “overkill”, but the former said, there is “no qualification as to who will do the arrest, regardless of the rank…you can arrest him”.

Prior to the arrest, Cañete said there were negotiations with Rosell following his alleged unauthorized entry into the City Hall and the Mayor’s Office and issuance of a memorandum even as he is "no longer holding the position of city administrator" as per City Legal officer, lawyer Santiago Ortiz Jr.

Cañete said they are also mulling another case against Rusell, but did not elaborate on it.

“Another case ipuno pa nato, but unahon sa ang mga kaso nga very blatant,” Cañete said.

Rosell is currently out on bail and may still enter the City Hall if he plays his taxes.

However, if Rosell commits another offense, Cañete said they “will do what’s necessary”.

Although they were told by Mayor Garcia earlier on “maximum tolerance”, Cañete said if a crime is committed, there is no such thing as that.

“Sa tinuod lang, kung nag commit ug crime sa imong atubangan, ay mog tuo anang maximum tolerance, you arrest him under the law,” Cañete said. — (FREEMAN)