Rama off to Russia as ‘CH employee’

MICHAEL Rama, the mayor of Cebu City who has been preventively suspended for six months, will be in Russia on Wednesday, May 22, 2024.

Rama, in a phone interview on Saturday, May 18, confirmed that the trip was organized long before his suspension.

“In fact, it took a long time for the Department of the Interior and Local Government to give the authority. Anyhow, naabot ang authority (the authorization came), na-suspended ko (but I got suspended). However, akong gi-convert para dili sila ma-insulted (I changed my role to avoid insulting my hosts),” he said without elaborating.

He also isn’t sure how long he will be gone.

“I don’t know kon one week ba pero basta days ra na, dili na weeks (I don’t know if it will be one week but I will only be gone for days, not weeks),” he said.

Rama did not say when he’ll be leaving, which part of Russia he’ll be going to, or what event he’ll be attending.

The suspended local chief executive said he will be traveling as an “employee” of the Cebu City Government, adding that he will shoulder all his expenses.

He said the City will not spend a single centavo for this trip.

“Ila pang gitrabaho ang requirements just in case (They are working on the requirements just in case), para dili mateknikal (to avoid any unnecessary embarrassment). But bear in mind, nga naa tay (we have) a constitutional right to travel. Plus, wala man tay (we don’t have) any court order not to travel,” Rama said.

(They’re working on my requirements, just in case, to avoid any hitches. But bear in mind, we have a constitutional right to travel. Plus, there’s no court order preventing me from traveling.)

Rama said City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, his spokesperson Karla Henry and Honorary Consult to Russia Armi Lopez Garcia will be joining him on the trip.

He said Pesquera will most probably lead the group since that was their original plan.

Cebu City has a sisterhood agreement with Vladivostok, a city in the Russian Far East. The deal was signed last Sept. 9, when Rama was in the city to attend a three-day economic forum.

He said he was satisfied with the connection he established, adding that it is a continuing relationship anchored on the sisterhood ties of the two cities.

Rama and seven City Hall officials that included City Administrator Collin Rosell were preventively suspended for the reassignments and the non-payment of salaries of four regular city employees for 10 months.

The order was served by the DILG last May 10. / AML