CEBU CITY — Police arrested former Cebu City executive Collin Rosell on Friday night after he entered city hall and attempted to assert authority, claiming his six-month suspension had expired.

Police officers led by Colonel Antonietto Cañete arrested Rosell for alleged usurpation of power after he occupied the former office of deposed mayor Michael Rama and held a press conference announcing Rama’s return.

The incident came to light when Rosell came to City Hall on Friday morning and insisted that his and Rama’s six-month suspensions had expired on November 6.

Rama and Rosell were suspended from duty in May for allegedly failing to pay four city hall employees for 10 months.

NABBED Police arrested suspended city manager Collin Rosell (in black jacket) at the office of suspended Cebu Mayor Michael Rama on November 9, 2024. SCREENSHOT FROM RAMIL AYUMAN’S VIDEO

Rama was later dismissed and disqualified from public office due to another complaint. This time, allegedly due to nepotism, he hired two brothers-in-law for key positions in the city government.

However, Rama’s team refuses to accept the dismissal order, claiming that they were never served with a copy of the order.

Previously, Rosell was denied entry to the City Administrator’s Office, so he went to the suspended mayor’s office to announce Rama’s return as mayor of Cebu City.

Rosell also downplayed the Ombudsman’s impeachment order and permanent disqualification from public office against the former mayor.

Rosell remained in the Mayor’s office for hours, attracting the attention of city hall staff and Rama supporters who gathered outside and chanted for Rama’s reinstatement.

Complaints from incumbent City Manager Kristine Joyce Batucan and City Law Officer Santiago Ortiz led Cañete’s team to arrest Rosell around 6 p.m.

Police action captured on video shows Rosell resisting arrest as Cañete attempted to handcuff him.

“I haven’t done anything against you, and you’re all standing, staring intently. I’m just sitting here; please live this, please live it… I have a lot of work to do here,” Rosell said. .

In response to Rosell’s claim that Rama had the right to return to office, Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said he was the legitimate mayor of the city, citing the Ombudsman’s decision and the approval of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

He also criticized the actions of Rosell and Rama’s supporters.

“Please don’t do it at City Hall because there is a lot of outstanding work that needs to be done,” Garcia said.

He added that he had instructed police to manage the crowd of Rama supporters with “maximum tolerance”.

But Rosell stood firm and challenged Garcia’s legitimacy as mayor.

“There is only one mayor; Rama is real and the other is fake,” he said.

He also claimed that Rama’s camp was not notified of the Ombudsman’s dismissal decision, which surfaced online in October after Rama filed his candidacy for mayor.

The Cebu City Law Office documented Rosell’s takeover attempt in a police log report on Friday afternoon, alleging that Rosell exercised the powers of the city manager without the approval of the mayor or the Ombudsman.

Lawyer Mikel Rama, the son of the deposed mayor, questioned the legality of Rosell’s arrest without a warrant. He, Vice Mayor Dondon Hontiveros and gubernatorial candidate Pamela Baricuatro visited Rosell at the Waterfront Police Station.

Rosell called the incident “maximum pressure” and “maximum harassment” and said he only resumed office after his termination as city manager expired.

Garcia, who won the 2022 election as deputy mayor, remained in office when he was appointed to replace Rama and had the Mayor’s Seal brought in.