The Sandiganbayan has denied the bid of former Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to dismiss graft charges involving over P44 million in waste disposal contracts, though it directed the prosecution to refine the details of the complaint.
In a resolution dated late January 2026, the anti-graft court’s Seventh Division rejected motions filed by Rama and three co-accused to quash the cases.
The charges stem from 2021 solid waste collection and disposal contracts allegedly awarded without strict adherence to the Government Procurement Reform Act.
While the court maintained that the trial should proceed, it agreed with the defense’s argument that the current formal charging documents were too vague.
The court observed that the prosecution’s approach failed to specify the exact provisions of the procurement law allegedly violated.
The prosecution has been ordered to amend the charges to include the “ultimate facts” and specific procedural lapses to ensure the accused are fully informed of the nature of the allegations against them.
The case involves three specific contracts awarded during Rama’s previous tenure, including P35 million to ARN Central Waste Management Inc., P4.99 million to Jomara Konstruckt Corporation, and P4.96 million to ACM Hauling Services.
The Ombudsman previously alleged that the contracts were awarded through negotiated procurement in a manner that gave “undue advantage” to the private firms.
Rama and his co-accused argued for dismissal, claiming the charges lacked sufficient detail to constitute a crime.
While the Sandiganbayan acknowledged the confusion raised by the defense, it ruled that the remedy was an amendment of the charge sheet rather than a total dismissal of the case.
The ruling comes as Rama continues to face separate legal and administrative hurdles. In 2024, the Ombudsman dismissed him from service and perpetually disqualified him from public office following a guilty verdict in an administrative case involving nepotism.
Rama has consistently denied any wrongdoing in both the administrative and criminal proceedings.
The court has given the prosecution a period to file the amended charges before the trial moves to the next stage.