Insisting he is the legit mayor, Rama dares authorities to ‘arrest me’

Local

FORMER Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama issued a defiant challenge to authorities, declaring himself the legitimate mayor of Cebu City amid a growing leadership dispute with current Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.

In a press conference on Thursday, November 28, Rama issued a bold “arrest me” statement as tensions between the two political figures continued to heat up.

Rama, who returned from a month-long honeymoon following his church wedding, was joined by City Council allies and supporters as he addressed the media for the first time in weeks.

He rejected the Ombudsman’s September 9 dismissal order, which cited nepotism in his administration, and argued that it had not been legally enforced.

Rama called the dismissal order “illegal” and emphasized that it lacked finality.

According to him, only the Supreme Court has the authority to make a definitive ruling on his disqualification. In a direct challenge to Garcia’s authority, Rama’s camp dismissed the memorandum issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Central Visayas (DILG-7) on October 9, which recognized Garcia’s assumption as city mayor.

Rama’s son, lawyer Mikel Rama, referred to the DILG memorandum as a “scrap of paper” that lacked an official directive from the Ombudsman, pointing out that they had not received any communication regarding the enforcement of the dismissal order.

The political tension in Cebu City escalated earlier in the month when former City Administrator Collin Rosell was arrested for attempting to return to his office.

He was charged with "usurpation of authority" after authorities took action to prevent him from resuming his post.

Rama strongly criticized the arrest, calling it excessive and accusing the current administration of attacking the very people who had voted him into office.

During his press conference, Rama did not hold back in questioning Garcia’s legitimacy as mayor.

He criticized Garcia for his actions, including the padlocking of the Office of the Mayor, describing it as a “padlocking of the people’s office.”

Rama pointed out that the office had remained untouched during his absence, interpreting this as a sign of Garcia’s lack of confidence in his leadership.

In response, Garcia defended his actions, stating that his assumption of the mayoralty was fully in accordance with legal protocols.

He urged Rama and his supporters to bring their grievances to court and return with the proper legal orders, rather than escalating tensions at City Hall.

Meanwhile, Rama’s supporters rallied behind him, chanting "FM," which stands for “fake mayor,” as they voiced their disapproval of Garcia’s leadership.

Rama expressed gratitude that his office had not been tampered with, seeing it as a sign of respect for his position and for those who continue to support him.

While Rama’s return to office remains uncertain, he emphasized that his duties as mayor go beyond physical presence at City Hall.

The controversy centers on the Ombudsman’s decision to dismiss Rama over allegations of nepotism stemming from his hiring of two brothers-in-law at City Hall from January to December 2022.

Rama denied the charges, explaining that the hires were made before his marriage and were retained through the tenure of multiple mayors.(MyTVCebu)