During a press conference at the City Hall on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, Rama said the employees would be asked to go on leave while the City Attorney’s Office and the Human Resources Development Office (HRDO) review their case.
Rama said he wants them to go on leave because the nature of the complaint affects trust and confidence
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 filed criminal and administrative complaints against 15 individuals, including City Government employees, for their alleged involvement in the City’s garbage collection deal with Docast Construction/JJ &J Construction and General Supply (Docast/JJ&J), which resulted in over P239 million in losses on the part of the City.
Charged were former Cebu City administrator Floro Casas Jr., Department of Public Services (DPS) head John Jigo Dacua, DPS Garbage Collection and Disposal officer-in-charge (OIC) Grace Luardo-Silva, DPS inspection officer Allen Omlero Ceballos, DPS City Treasurer’s Office inspector Romelito Asinjo Datan, DPS General Services Office inspector Mark Abarquez Ugbinar, OIC-City Accountant Jerome Visarra Ornopia and Acting City Treasurer Mare Vae Fernandez Reyes.
Other individuals charged were Docast/JJ&J joint venture officials Jayra Angelic Maningo Ruiz-Javier (incorporator/authorized managing officer), John David Sevilles Javier (officer-in-charge and operations manager), Erika May Quiño (encoder) and incorporators and officers Jay Alexander Aguilar Ruiz, Maridel Maningo Ruiz, Robert Jay Maningo Ruiz and Jayvic Castrenz Maningo Ruiz.
The charges were filed on Dec. 14, after the agency alleged that there were unlawful acts committed, such as overbilling, padding and ghost garbage deliveries in carrying out the garbage collection deal.
Lawyer Collin Rosell, Rama’s executive secretary, said in cases involving departments heads, as a rule, the head of the government office has the disciplinary power and can command or direct the necessary action.
“But of course, there are other departments that can enforce the said directive if ever needed or called upon, especially this case now that involves serious matters affecting financial management and trust and confidence,” said Rosell.
The executive secretary said they will refer the matter to the city attorney, the HRDO chief and the fiscal management in-charge.
“We still have and we need to get into (the details) and evaluate the investigation that was conducted by the NBI,” said Rosell.
The mayor said everything may be decided and served by Monday, Dec. 19, after he meets with the Mayor’s Work Force.
In his press statement, Rama said he realized the sorry state of the city’s garbage disposal only when he assumed as acting mayor in June last year.
Rama said he saw problems in the collection, transport, segregation in transfer stations, reuse and disposal of wastes, which he said were beyond the ability of the contractor hired for the job.
“The issue we raised, that came when our DPS asked for additional budget for collection… that led us in the City Council to ask the NBI in August 2021 to investigate a possible plunder,” he said.
In July this year, they urged the NBI to hasten its investigation, especially after the Commission on Audit questioned the deals with two contractors and urged concerned department heads to cooperate in the probe.
“With the filing of a case by the NBI, let us allow the wheels of justice to churn and determine the culpability of the individuals named in the case,” he said.
The mayor said he was satisfied with the NBI’s probe concerning the alleged anomalies and even commended the agency for its findings.
He stressed, though, that all the individuals facing the complaints are innocent until they are proven guilty.