1 week Ago By Elias L. Espinoza
I first came to Cebu City in 1970 (just don’t mind the age, lol) to pursue college studies. I enrolled at the University of the Visayas, the favorite university of most students from my home province of Surigao del Sur. There, I met new acquaintances and friends who were from Cebu City.
Whenever we talked about food, especially chicken barbecue, my friends, who were locals of Cebu City, would jokingly advise me that if I ever bought chicken barbecue, I should avoid the vendors along Colon St. near Borromeo St. because their chicken was “double dead.
” Whether this was true or not, I never tried it. I wonder if Torni Cheking Seares or Torni Frank Malilong tried it back in their heydays. Anyway, my recollection of the term “double dead” for the chicken barbecue sold on Colon St.
in those years somehow resonated with me and stirred a memory, but it also caused some confusion. This confusion arose when I read on social media that the already dismissed Cebu City mayor Mike Rama had again been ordered dismissed by the Ombudsman for allegedly awarding contracts for the city’s garbage collection without conducting a bidding, after a previous dismissal order for a nepotism case. Ironically, some netizens raised a valid question: why was Rama dismissed again when he had already been dismissed by the Ombudsman? One commenter called it a “double kill.
” There were other, harsher comments directed at Rama, which I will not quote here due to their unkind nature. What further stunned me was the news report stating that a warrant of arrest for Rama was issued by a court in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. I offered my opinion that the Information against Rama must have been filed in that San Carlos City court to warrant his arrest.
However, the reported arrest warrant for Rama issued by the San Carlos City court was regarding his nepotism case, not the awarding of contracts without bidding. Torni John Rey Saavedra responded to my post, explaining that it was due to Rama’s salary grade and allegations of damage to the government. “The Information must allege damage to the government for a graft charge against a public official with Salary Grade 27 and above to be filed before the Sandiganbayan.
Otherwise, the trial must be in the RTC (Regional Trial Court) within the Judicial Region, not in a court where the accused holds office,” Saavedra added. In that same post, Rama confirmed on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, the news of his arrest warrant. He was, however, able to post bail amounting to P270,000 before a Cebu City court.
It was Rama’s lawyer, Collin Rosell, who discovered the arrest warrant online, prompting their immediate action to post bail. Rosell stated in the news report that they are now preparing for Rama’s trial on the nepotism case. He did not, however, mention which court would hear Rama’s case.
In an interview, Rama questioned why the warrant was issued in San Carlos City, arguing that the case should have been handled within Cebu City’s jurisdiction since the issues occurred there. During his talk with the press, he even figuratively exclaimed: “they should have killed me.” No, Mike, that would not happen here, and you know it.
That’s a positive aspect of politics in Cebu City: no physical violence, just these persistent legal cases now that you’re not aligned with the administration party. I understand your frustrations, but having been in politics for so long, you are already prepared for anything that may come your way in our current political climate..
