THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division has granted a petition for disqualification against the mayoral candidacy of former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama in the 2025 national and local elections.
In a resolution dated November 11, 2025, the Comelec First Division cited the guilty verdict issued by the Office of the Ombudsman, which found Rama guilty of nepotism and grave misconduct.
The Ombudsman imposed the penalty of dismissal from office, with the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from reemployment in government service.
This ruling effectively disqualifies Rama from running for any elective local position.
The disqualification followed a petition filed by Jundel Bontuyan, a registered voter of Barangay Adlaon, Cebu City.
The petition was based on Section 40(b) of the Local Government Code, which bars individuals removed from office due to administrative cases from seeking elective positions.
In the May 12, 2025 elections, Rama -- already dismissed at the time -- lost his mayoral bid, finishing third behind then-City Councilor and now Mayor Nestor Archival and former mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia. (EHP)