CEBU CITY—Mayor Michael Rama yielded his post to Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella on Friday following a 60-day preventive suspension meted by Malacañang over the demolition of a street’s center island and lights last year.
“Ampingi ang City Hall [Take care of city hall],” Rama told Labella who claimed the suspension was politically motivated because Rama is seeking reelection against former Mayor Tomas Osmeña, a leader of the ruling Liberal Party.
Rama, a member of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance, said he did nothing wrong and admitted that he was hurt by the preventive suspension order signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. last Dec. 2.
“We will not stop respecting and upholding the law… but it’s the rule of law that is preventively suspended. It is you that are preventively suspended,” Rama said before his supporters who gathered at city hall grounds Friday.
Labella explained that the mayor only demolished a 28-meter structure that a barangay chairman had constructed in the middle of Salvador and Katipunan Streets and the demolition underwent due process as shown by a notice from the district engineer.
“We would like to inform that said structure posed danger to the traveling public and [is] a clear violation of the policies stipulated in the Philippine Highway Act. Hence, please be advised to immediately remove the said structure,” Labella quoted district engineer Fernando Cruz as in the notice issued in 2014.
Nonetheless, Malacañang ordered Rama’s 60-day suspension over accusations of culpable violation of the Constitution, grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct and oppression.
Rama was a member of the ruling Liberal Party until he joined the opposition party UNA of Vice President Jejomar Binay in 2012. Rama is UNA’s regional coordinator in Cebu as well.
Rama was not in at the Cebu City Hall when the suspension order was served by the Department of Interior Local Government director Danilo Almendras, Regional Director Rene Burdeos and legal chief Aiza Fiel Nogra.
Although he did not report at his city hall office, the mayor attended the grand opening of Robinsons Galleria Cebu in the afternoon and cut the ribbon.
Nogra asked the receiving staff of the Office of the Mayor to receive a copy of the suspension order, but when the staff refused, Burdeos just posted a copy of the order on the door of Rama’s office.