7th complaint to unseat Cebu City Mayor Garcia dismissed by Ombudsman

Local

ANOTHER attempt to unseat the city’s top official has been struck down, as the Office of the Ombudsman upheld the legality of the mayoral succession following the removal of the former local chief executive.

The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed another complaint questioning the legality of Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia’s assumption of office. This is the latest in a series of failed attempts to unseat the sitting mayor through administrative challenges.

In a decision approved on January 27, the Ombudsman rejected the complaint filed by Mark Lester Ceballos, Glicerio Germundo Jr., and Lemuel Felisario — former coterminous employees of the Cebu City Government — who had alleged that Garcia's takeover as mayor was invalid.

The complainants argued that Garcia’s assumption was unlawful, citing the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) alleged non-involvement in implementing the Ombudsman’s earlier dismissal order against former mayor Michael Rama.

They further questioned the non-renewal of their contracts following Garcia’s entry into office.

The anti-graft body, however, ruled that its decisions in administrative cases are final and immediately executory, regardless of DILG participation.

“A decision of the Office of the Ombudsman in administrative cases shall be executed as a matter of course,” the Ombudsman’s ruling stated.

It also clarified that the Ombudsman has full discretion over how its decisions are relayed to implementing agencies, and the absence of DILG's direct involvement in this case did not invalidate the order.

The complaint stemmed from Garcia’s succession to the mayoralty in October 2024 after the Ombudsman imposed the penalty of dismissal and perpetual disqualification from public office on Michael Rama. Rama was found guilty of nepotism and grave misconduct for appointing two of his brothers-in-law to city government posts.

Garcia had previously served as acting mayor beginning May 2024 while Rama was under preventive suspension for a separate case.

This latest ruling marks at least the seventh time the Ombudsman has rejected efforts to challenge Garcia’s tenure as mayor.

Earlier, former Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs head Homer Cabaral filed a similar complaint, which the Ombudsman dismissed for lack of merit.

Another complaint filed anonymously was likewise junked, while two former Rama-aligned employees, Vicente Esmeña and Teofilo Rosaroso Jr., also lodged a case alleging illegal termination, which was similarly thrown out.

In all cases, the Ombudsman upheld Garcia’s authority, reiterating that its administrative decisions are binding and executable unless overturned by the Court of Appeals.

The legal challenges come as the political rivalry between the Garcias and the Ramas intensifies ahead of the May 2025 elections.

A separate complaint against Garcia was filed by a lawyer and South District councilor candidate Mikel Rama, son of the former mayor.

Mikel claimed that Garcia had “unlawfully” taken his oath of office, arguing that the DILG had not been properly informed of his father’s dismissal, an assertion also dismissed by the Ombudsman in a two-page resolution signed by Acting Director Corazon C. Arnado-Carrillo.

The Ombudsman stressed that the endorsement to the City Government's Human Resource Division was sufficient to implement the dismissal order.

“The non-endorsement of the decision by the DILG nor the lack of privity of the implementation thereof by the agency does not make the decision or its implementation invalid or without force,” the resolution read.

Garcia, who faces Michael Rama in the upcoming mayoral race, welcomed the latest ruling and urged his critics to accept the decisions rendered by the Ombudsman.

“They insist I usurped the position, claiming I was not yet the legitimate mayor. But these cases have been dismissed outright for lack of merit,” Garcia previously said.

He has repeatedly called on political opponents and city stakeholders to refocus their energy on governance rather than engaging in what he described as politically motivated legal maneuvers.

“I urge everyone to respect the Ombudsman’s ruling and move forward in ensuring that City Hall remains focused on serving the people of Cebu City with efficiency, accountability, and good governance,” Garcia said.

The dismissal of the latest complaint comes as the city braces for a high-stakes mayoral election, where Garcia and Michael Rama are expected to face off at the polls.

Rama, despite his disqualification from public office, secured a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court, allowing him to pursue his candidacy.(TGP)