CEBU CITY, Philippines — Preventively suspended Cebu Metropolis Mayor Michael Rama has been completely disqualified from holding any authorities place after the Workplace of the Ombudsman discovered him responsible of nepotism and grave misconduct.
In an order dated September 9, 2024, and obtained by media on Thursday, October 3, the Ombudsman dominated that Rama’s acts of nepotism, particularly the hiring of his spouse’s two brothers as informal staff in Metropolis Corridor, violated a number of provisions of the Civil Service guidelines.
The ruling consists of his dismissal from service, cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement advantages, besides accrued go away credit, and everlasting disqualification from authorities reemployment.
Though the order continues to be not closing and executory and is open for attraction, Rama mentioned he has but to obtain an official copy of the Ombudsman’s order. When requested for remark, he declined, citing the absence of any formal notification.
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The choice stemmed from a grievance filed in January 2023 by Jonel Saceda, often known as “Inday Josa Chiongbian Osmeña,” who accused Michael Rama of appointing his brothers-in-law, Elmer and Gomer Mandanat, to positions beneath the Workplace of the Mayor and the Cebu Metropolis Medical Heart.
Each brothers, siblings of Rama’s second spouse, Marilou Gimenez Mandanat-Rama, had been employed as informal staff between January 2022 and December 2022.
The Ombudsman acknowledged that these appointments had been “prohibited nepotistic appointments” beneath present civil service laws.
Nepotism guidelines, which apply to each profession and non-career service, prohibit the appointment of kin inside the third diploma of consanguinity or affinity, a relationship that features the mayor’s in-laws.
Within the ruling, the Ombudsman emphasised that the penalty for such offenses not solely consists of dismissal but in addition perpetual disqualification from holding any authorities workplace sooner or later.
If dismissal can’t be enforced resulting from Michael Rama’s separation from service, the penalty might be transformed right into a fantastic equal to his one-year wage.
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The Ombudsman’s ruling got here as a bitter flip of occasions for Partido Barug Staff Rama, led by the suspended Michael Rama, who filed their Certificates of Candidacy (COC) right now for the upcoming elections.
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