The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires to answer a petition challenging the six-month preventive suspension of Cebu City Mayor Michael R. Rama within 10 days.

Likewise, the high bench also directed Ombudsman Martires to answer the plea of Rama for a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would lift immediately the preventive suspension.

The mayor was suspended last 8 May on complaints filed by several Cebu City employees who claimed they were removed from their posts and were not paid for 10 months.

During a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon, 20 August, SC spokesperson Atty. Camille Sue Mae L. Ting said that Martires was given 10 days from receipt of the resolution to file his comment both on the petition and the plea for TRO.

The Ombudsman suspended Rama and seven other city hall officials namely City Administrator lawyer Collin Rossell, his wife Maria Theresa Rossell who heads the City Treasurer’s Office, Francis May Jacaban, Angelique Cabugao, Jay-Ar Pescante, Lester Joey Beniga and Nelyn Sanrojo.

Rama opted to elevate his case before the SC when the Court of Appeals (CA) dismissed his challenging of the suspension.

Atty. Ting said that Rama asked the SC to declare unconstitutional Section 24 of Republic Act 6770, the Ombudsman Act of 1989, and Section O, Rule III of Administrative Order No. 7, the Rules of Procedure of the Office of the Ombudsman, as they apply to elective local officials.

The spokesperson said that Rama also asked the SC to nullify his preventive suspension.