The Sandiganbayan threw out all graft charges against ex-Cebu City mayor Michael Rama over P45M in emergency garbage contracts, and blocked the prosecution's bid to revive the case.
The Sandiganbayan has thrown out all graft charges against former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama over emergency garbage contracts awarded after Typhoon Odette, and blocked the prosecution's bid to revive them.
In a July 16 resolution, the anti-graft court's Seventh Division dismissed three counts of violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Rama. The court also denied the prosecution's motion for reconsideration of its June 2 ruling that had cleared five co-accused members of the Cebu City Bids and Awards Committee.
The dismissal freed the bail bonds posted by Rama and the other defendants and lifted all hold departure orders.
The cases centered on three negotiated procurement contracts worth nearly P45 million awarded in December 2021 to Jomara Konstrukt Corp., ACM Hauling Services and ARN Central Waste Management Inc. The Office of the Ombudsman had argued that city officials improperly used negotiated procurement instead of competitive bidding, giving unwarranted benefits to the contractors.
The Sandiganbayan ruled that the amended information remained defective because it failed to state the "ultimate facts" needed to establish criminal liability. The prosecution merely repeated the legal elements of graft without identifying specific acts by each accused, the court said.
"Violation of procurement law does not ipso facto give rise to violation of RA 3019," the court wrote. "Mere awarding of contracts to the private contractors is not illegal per se as it is an integral part of the procurement process."
Prosecutors should have alleged facts showing the awards were illegal or irregular, the court added.
Rama had not initially moved to quash the amended charges and entered a conditional not-guilty plea. He later asked the court to apply the June 2 dismissal to his case because the same allegations and conspiracy theory applied to him and the BAC members.
"There is no doubt that the defect in the amended Information filed by the prosecution must also redound to the benefit of accused Rama," the resolution stated.
The court cited the Paguirigan vs. The People precedent, holding that criminal charges must contain enough factual detail to inform the accused of the allegations and allow them to prepare a defense.
The contracts broke down as P4.99 million for Jomara Konstrukt Corp., P4.96 million for ACM Hauling Services and P35 million for ARN Central Waste Management Inc.
The legal fight began with a complaint filed before the Ombudsman in August 2023. The Ombudsman found probable cause in December 2024 and filed the graft cases before the Sandiganbayan in October 2025.
Rama said he learned of the ruling while attending a fiesta Mass with his family at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. "Sometimes surprises come any day and at any time," he said.
His son, Cebu City councilor Mikel Rama, thanked supporters and prayer partners, saying "the truth and justice will always prevail."
Drafted by a large language model from the source reporting linked above, then screened by automated publishing checks. It is not read by a journalist before publication. Some articles cite our Alpha Score. Verify prices and figures against the original source. Educational coverage, not personalized advice.