CEBU City Mayor Mike Rama urged the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to fast-track the investigation relating to the graft and plunder cases against the officials and individuals behind the anomalous solid waste collection and disposal transaction back in 2021.
This came after the City Council received a copy of the transmittal letter dated July 29, 2024, from the National Bureau of Investigation-Central Visayas (NBI-Cevro) Director Renan Augustus Oliva during its regular session Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024.
The letter contained NBI-Cevro’s recommendation to file cases against several former and incumbent City Hall officials over an anomaly in the payment for collection, hauling and disposal of the city’s solid waste in 2021.
In a phone interview on Friday, Aug. 16, Rama said he has not received any update on the said cases filed before the Ombudsman-Visayas since his last request to the NBI-Cevro for a follow-up on Jan. 25.
“Asa naman sila (Where are they)? ... I wish fair is fair,” Rama said, directing his comment to the Ombudsman-Visayas.
In a text message on Friday, City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera told SunStar Cebu that the purpose of the transmittal letter and the supporting document was for recording purposes.
She added that there was no development on the complaint as of the moment.
Meanwhile, Rama is currently serving a six-month preventive suspension since May 2024 by order of the Ombudsman.
This was due to a complaint filed in February by four City Hall employees against Rama and several officials over unpaid salaries for around 10 months.
Rama earlier clarified that the complaints were regarding payroll issues, reiterating that he is not a payroll officer.
Complaint
Rama was one of the complainants in the criminal cases alleging violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Malversation of Public Funds and Plunder against eight former and incumbent Cebu City Hall officials and six private individuals.
The charges were filed by the NBI-Cevro on Dec. 14, 2022, after the agency alleged that unlawful acts were committed, such as overbilling, padding and ghost garbage deliveries in carrying out the garbage collection deal.
The respondents were former city administrator Floro Casas Jr., Department of Public Services (DPS) head John Jigo Dacua and then city accountant Jerome Visarra Ornopia and city treasurer Mare Vae Fernandez.
Other respondents were Grace Luardo-Silva of the DPS’ Garbage Collection and Disposal, DPS inspection officer Allen Omlero Ceballos, Romelito Asinjo Datan and General Services Office inspector for DPS Mark Abarquez Ugbinar.
NBI-Cevro also filed criminal charges against private individuals from Docast Construction and JJ & J Construction and General Supply.
They included managing officer Jayra Angelic Maningo Ruiz-Javier; operations manager John David Sevilles Javier; encoder Erika May Quiño; and incorporators Jay Alexander Aguilar Ruiz, Maridel Maningo Ruiz, Robert Jay Maningo Ruiz and Jayvic Castrenz Maningo Ruiz.
Casas, on the other hand, declined to comment so as not to prejudice the complaint against him, emphasizing that it was filed two years ago.
SunStar Cebu has reached out to other respondents but has yet to receive a reply as of press time.
The respondents allegedly violated Section 1(d)(1) of Republic Act (RA) 7080 as amended by Section 12 of RA 7659 (Plunder), Section 3(e) of RA 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code (Malversation of Public Funds and Property), and Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees) for gross neglect of duty.
In 2021, then vice mayor Michael Rama requested NBI-Cevro to conduct an investigation on the contract between Docast/JJ&J and the City Government on Aug. 24, 2021, attaching a City Council resolution dated Aug. 19, 2021, seeking the same investigation. The mayor at the time was Edgardo Labella.
Based on the NBI’s investigation, Docast/JJ&J falsely claimed to have collected and dumped garbage using its own trucks and overcharged the City government by P239 million through inflated bills and fabricated documents. / EHP