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DESPITE repeated efforts to unseat or remove him from office, Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia remains in
power after the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed another complaint questioning the legality of his position as mayor, the seventh such ruling in his favor.
The latest complaint was filed by former city government employees Mark Lester Ceballos, Glicerio Germundo Jr. and Lemuel Felisario, who alleged that Garcia's rise to the mayoralty was unlawful.
They cited the supposed lack of involvement of the Department of the Interior and Local Government Central Visayas (DILG-7) in implementing the dismissal order against elected mayor Michael Rama.
The complainants also raised concerns about the nonrenewal of their contracts following Garcia's assumption of office in October 2024.
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The Ombudsman rejected the arguments and emphasized that its rulings 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 Office of the Ombudsman shall ensure that the decision shall be strictly enforced and properly implemented," the ruling stated.
The resolution also warned that any official who refuses or fails to implement such decisions "without just cause" may face disciplinary action.
Garcia formally assumed the position of mayor on Oct. 9, 2024, following Rama's dismissal for nepotism and grave misconduct in appointing two of his brothers-in-law to city hall positions.
Garcia had earlier served as acting mayor starting May 2024 when Rama served a preventive suspension over a separate case.
The Jan. 27, 2025 decision approving the Ombudsman evaluator's report adds to a growing list of complaints dismissed by the anti-graft office, all of which challenged Garcia's legitimacy.
Among those previously rejected were complaints filed by former Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs head Homer Cabaral, city employees Vicente Esmeña and Teofilo Rosaroso Jr., and an anonymous source.
South District council candidate Mikel Rama, son of the former mayor, also filed a case which the Ombudsman also dismissed.
In its resolution signed by acting director Corazon Arnado-Carrillo, the anti-graft body stated, "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."
Garcia, now seeking a full term as mayor in the upcoming May 12 elections, welcomed the outcome of the most recent case.
"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," he said.
"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 added.
Rama, the former mayor, was perpetually disqualified from holding public office but secured a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court, allowing him to run against Garcia in the upcoming polls.
