Leaving the position may end in dismissal

CEBU City Hall employees, including former department heads, who allegedly participated in a protest outside City Hall on November 8, 2024 in support of fired Mayor Michael Rama, may be fired after failing to explain their involvement, Cebu Mayor said , Raymond Alvin Garcia said.

There were 24 identified City Hall employees who joined the protest, some of whom still currently work at City Hall, while some still work at City Hall.
former employees.

Garcia said during a press conference on November 25, 2024 that only two employees, who reportedly joined the protest at the seniors’ park across from the Cebu City Hall Executive Building, submitted their explanations after receiving a notice. explain.

The mayor said the workers’ failure to respond to the notice to explain amounts to a waiver of their right to defend themselves.

Garcia declined to name the City Hall employees allegedly involved
the protest.

But some of them are former department heads who served during Rama’s reign.

On November 8, former city manager Collin Rosell went to City Hall to announce Rama’s return after his six-month preventive suspension. Protesters gathered outside the executive building chanting for Rama’s reinstatement and calling for Garcia’s resignation, describing him as a “usurper.”

An incident report from the mayor’s office shows that 24 City Hall employees actively participated in the meeting.

These employees were charged with abandoning their posts for allegedly participating in the protest.

With the 72-hour deadline for City Hall employees to submit their statements ending on Nov. 22, Garcia said the investigation will continue before a decision or sanctions are imposed.

He explained that due process will still prevail; However, for those who ignored the notices, this amounts to a waiver of their rights.

“Those who ignored this meant they didn’t put forward their side, which means we will decide based on the (evidence) we have,” Garcia said.

“We gave them the opportunity to be heard, and that is a basic principle in the Constitution: their right to a fair trial,” he added.

Garcia said one of the sanctions will be dismissal from office.

“But you know, December is coming, and the extension of the contracts from January (2025) will be accompanied by an extension of the contracts, maybe we can continue with that,” Garcia said.

Rosell attempted to return to his former office on November 8, but failed.

He was also arrested and detained on a complaint of abuse of power, but bail was posted the next day.

Rosell questioned Garcia’s ascension to office on Oct. 9, arguing that Rama had not yet formally received the dismissal order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with allegations of favoritism.

Garcia responded that his assumption of office followed the rule of law. He said he had complied with the memorandum issued by the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government, which directed him to take an oath and fill the permanent vacancy in the mayor’s office following Rama’s resignation. / EHP