SUSPENSION ORDER. Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional director Leocadio Trovela posts a copy of the suspension order on Mayor Michael Rama in front of the Cebu City Assessor's Office. Trovela failed to personally serve the suspension order as Rama was not around when they arrived in his office Friday afternoon (May 10, 2024). (Contributed photo)
CEBU CITY – Officials of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Central Visayas failed to serve on Friday the suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman against Mayor Michael Rama and seven other Cebu City Hall officials.
Lawyer Leocadio Trovela, regional director of the DILG-7, said they tried to serve personally the suspension order but Rama and the other officials ordered were not present at the city hall when they arrived Friday afternoon.
“Our team will discuss other options. We may resort to substituted service of the suspension order by sending them to the respondents through registered mail,” Trovela told the reporters.
He said the intention of the DILG is “really to serve the order personally.”
The suspended officials were considered notified after they posted the Ombudsman’s order at the Office of the City Assessor, the regional director of the DILG said.
Aside from Rama, the Ombudsman ordered the six-month preventive suspension on city administrator Collin Rossel, Rossel’s wife, the officer-in-charge of the City Assessor’s Office, assistant department head for administration Francis May Jacaban, assistant department head for operations Angelique Cabugao, administrative division head Jay-Ar Pescante, division head for assessment of records management Lester Joey Beniga and computer division head Nelyn Sanrojo.
The suspension came amid the ongoing investigation into claims made by former city government employees that the officials involved withheld their salaries for 10 months.
Meanwhile, the Office of Vice Mayor Raymund Alvin Garcia confirmed Friday that they received an order from the DILG to "exercise powers and perform duties and functions of the local chief executive in an acting capacity pursuant to Section 46(a) of three Local Government Code of 1991 during the period of preventive suspension of city mayor Micheal Rama until such time he may lawfully assume the powers, duties, and functions of said office.”
A source from Garcia’s office told the Philippine News Agency that the vice mayor will assume office as acting mayor on Monday as he is on official business in Manila. (PNA)
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