# Mike Rama

Michael Lopez Rama (born October 28, 1954) is a Filipino politician who served as Mayor of Cebu City from 2021 to October 3, 2024 and previously from 2010 to 2016. He served as the Vice Mayor of Cebu City from 2001 to 2010 and from 2019 to 2021, and was a member of the Cebu City Council from 1992 to 2001. He was elected the National President of the League of Cities of the Philippines in 2022. In October 2024, the Office of the Ombudsman perpetually disqualified him from public service due to charges of nepotism.

## Education

Mike Rama graduated as class valedictorian in Basak Elementary School in Basak San Nicolas, Cebu City. He attended the University of Southern Philippines and earned a pre-med degree from Velez College. He went on for further graduate studies in law at San Beda College in Manila. Rama passed the bar exam in 1983.

## Political career

Rama started his political career as councilor of Cebu City for three successive terms from 1992 to 2001, filling in the slot of his uncle, Clemente "Cle" Rama, a veteran councilor, and leading the Committee on Education. In his third term, as the councilor who was the recipient of the most votes in the election, Rama became the first councilor that made him often assume the role as acting vice mayor and even as acting mayor. Also during his third term, he served as national president of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL).
Thereafter, Rama served three consecutive terms as vice mayor of Cebu City from 2001 to 2010 with Tomas Osmeña as mayor, and was elected the national president of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines (VMLP).
Rama ran and won for the city mayorship in 2010, and was proclaimed as the twenty-seventh mayor of Cebu City, defeating former mayor Alvin Garcia. Rama was re-elected as mayor for a second term in 2013, defeating his former ally and mayor Tomas Osmeña. A December 2014 essay by SunStar Cebu focused on the rivalry between Michael Rama and Tomas Osmeña in Cebu politics. Osmeña criticized Rama for assuming roles beyond a mayor's duties, like a fire-fighter and police officer. However, the essay also highlighted Osmeña's similar strategic image-building, projecting himself as a powerful political figure. The article emphasized that despite Osmeña's critique of Rama's multiple personas, both politicians crafted specific images to appeal to voters.
In a July 2015 Facebook post, former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña criticized his erstwhile ally and political rival, Mayor Michael Rama, accusing Rama of mismanaging government funds and selling off valuable South Road Properties (SRP) lots, a project Osmeña initially conceptualized. Osmeña highlighted concerns about the depletion of City Hall funds under Rama's tenure, contrasting it with the substantial amount he purportedly left behind upon stepping down.
In December 2015, Malacañang ordered a 60-day preventive suspension on Rama for his alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, and oppression. The suspension was in response to an administrative complaint filed by Barangay Labangon Chairperson Victor M. Buendia, alleging that Mayor Rama had unlawfully ordered the destruction of a center island and street lighting project funded and undertaken by the said Barangay without due process. The Office of the President determined that such actions were not justified as street lights and center islands are not nuisances, and their removal should have followed appropriate legal procedures. Rama reported back to his office on February 8, 2016, as the 60-day suspension imposed on him by the Office of the President of the Philippines had ended. Rama ran for a third and final consecutive term in 2016, but was defeated by Osmeña by a margin of 33,894 votes.
In August 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte has mentioned former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama as one of the country's alleged drug protectors, along with other individuals, during an event. In response, Rama expressed his sadness over the accusation and stated his willingness to cooperate with authorities to clear his name. He emphasized his support for Duterte's anti-drug campaign and his family's commitment to being law-abiding citizens. Rama hoped for justice and truth to prevail. Rama’s name was later removed from the list in 2019. Rama believed that the President was fed misinformation against him, leading to his inclusion on the initial "narcolist".
In 2019, Rama returned to his former post as vice mayor of Cebu City, together with ally Edgardo Labella as mayor, defeating the incumbent Osmeña. Rama once again took oath as mayor on November 20, 2021, following the death of Labella the day before. Rama retained his post as city mayor in 2022, defeating city councilors Margot Osmeña and Dave Tumulak.
In August 2022, Mayor Michael Rama had repeatedly expressed his vision of making Cebu City "Singapore-like" since taking office, inspired by a recent visit to Singapore. He emphasized the need for transformation and resilience, calling on various sectors, including the information technology and business process outsourcing sector, to work together for the city's development. However, there is a lack of specific goals and a clear roadmap for achieving this vision, leading to questions about what it means to be "Singapore-like" and the need for Cebu City to define its objectives more precisely. Critics argue that the city should set clear, measurable targets to determine if it achieves its goal of becoming "Singapore-like."

### Legal issues

Cebu Port Authority filed administrative complaints with the Office of the President of the Philippines against Rama. The action was anchored on “impermissible encroachment” on April 1, 2024, “deliberate and flagrant disregard” of its authority, and “obstinate disobedience and resistance” to an injunction from Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 10.
Metropolitan Cebu Water District's Chairman Jose Daluz III and General Manager Edgar Donoso, filed the complaints against Rama with the Office of the President through the DILG on April 29, 2024. City Administrator Collin Rosell, City Budget Officer Jerone Castillo, City Legal Officer Carlo Vincent Gimena, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head Harold Alcontin and City Transportation Office head Raquel Arce were also charged before the Ombudsman of the Philippines for alleged “illegal entry” of the Cebu City personnel into the MCWD office.
On May 7, 2024, Ombudsman Samuel Martires directed a 6-month preventive suspension of Rama and seven other City officials. The case originated from alleged non-payment of salaries of four City Assessor's Office employees since July 2023. On May 17, the Court of Appeals of the Philippines dismissed Rama's certiorari for failure to file the required motion for reconsideration. On August 20, the Supreme Court ordered the Ombudsman and DILG to answer Rama's petition against his suspension.
On October 3, 2024, Rama filed his candidacy to run for mayor in the 2025 Philippine general election. However, an order from the Ombudsman was released later in the day, in which Rama was perpetually disqualified from holding public office for nepotism in a case involving the hiring of two of his brothers-in-law as city employees. On October 22, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against the Commission on Elections's Resolution which disqualified Rama from running in the 2025 polls.

## Personal life

Rama is a member of the Rama family, a prominent political family from Cebu City. He is the son of Fernando Rama, a former Cebu City councilor, and brother of Eduardo L. Rama, the former congressman and governor of Agusan del Norte. His nephew is Cebu City Congressman Edu Rama Jr., son of his late brother governor Eduardo Rama Sr. He has a daughter named Micheline F. Rama and son named Mikel F. Rama.
Other relatives include: His grandfather is Don Vicente Rama, senator, Cebu City 1st inaugural mayor, 1st national assemblyman, congressman, councilor and "The Father of Cebu City".
He is the nephew of Osmundo G. Rama, Governor of Cebu Province and Commissioner Napoleon G. Rama, the 1986 Constitutional Commission floor leader and Philippine Legion of Honor (Grand Commander) 26 February 2011 awardee.
Capt. George Rama is his first cousin, the Barangay Captain of Basak San Nicolas of Cebu City and in addition his first cousin is talent manager, celebrity businesswoman Annabelle Rama, the mother of Ruffa, Richard, and Raymond Gutierrez.
Rama was previously married to lawyer Araceli Lim Francisco until their marriage was annulled in 2000. In 2021, he married Malou Jimenez Mandanat, a former employee of Cebu City Hall, in a civil ceremony. He has two children with Francisco and one with Mandanat.