Only Rama ‘impleaded’ in latest plaint

LAWYER Reymelio Delute clarified that the complaint he filed before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas was only against Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.

He did not include the other city officials earlier mentioned as respondents.

Delute filed complaints for malversation of public funds and technical malversation and for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and other violations of other applicable laws against Rama before the anti-graft office.

The complaint was anchored on the distribution of the P20,000-calamity assistance to qualified officials and employees of City Hall in 2013 after the province was struck by an earthquake and super typhoon Yolanda.

Sole responsibility

Delute also filed administrative complaints for abuse of authority and grave misconduct against Rama and 13 other city officials before the Office of the President over the same distribution.

In his latest complaint, Delute said Rama, as implementing authority, was solely responsible for the criminal aspects of the distribution of the calamity financial assistance.

The complainant said that based on the decision made by Malacañang, there was probable cause to charge Rama before the anti-graft office.

The Office of the President already ruled on the complaint in favor of Delute and imposed a six-month suspension for those impleaded, but it was not implemented because of the election ban.

Comelec en banc deferred the approval of the implementation of the suspension order last month since an approval or clearance from their office was needed because of the election ban.

Before the ruling, the Department of Interior and Local Government 7 conducted marathon hearings on Delute’s complaint.

Delute said he was dismayed by the delay of the implementation of the suspension against Rama that was why he filed another complaint before the anti-graft office last week because he wanted the ombudsman to look into the possibility of elevating the matter into a criminal complaint.

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