CEBU CITY — Former city administrator Collin Rosell, who was arrested on Friday evening on charges of usurpation of authority and resisting arrest, was released on Saturday after posting bail.
Rosell paid a total of P33,000, consisting of P30,000 for usurpation of authority and P3,000 for resisting arrest, following his confrontation with police officers at Cebu City Hall. He vowed to file charges against those behind his arrest.
"It's really a form of severe oppression, and then they even said that I really need to be thrown into prison, inside that smelly prison. I really had to experience that, and indeed, I have experienced it," the former administrator told media.
Rosell was arrested on November 8 after he entered the City Hall and attempted to resume his duties, claiming that his six-month suspension had expired on November 6.
The Office of the Ombudsman issued the suspension due to allegations of negligence in paying city employees, which was served by several city officials, including Rosell and then-mayor Michael Rama.
However, with the suspension now over, Rosell argued that he had every right to return to his post.
Rama is currently dismissed and disqualified from holding public office due to a separate complaint involving nepotism for allegedly hiring two of his brothers-in-law for positions in the city government.
However, Rama's camp refuses to accept the dismissal order, claiming that they were never served a copy of it.
Last Friday, Rosell arrived at City Hall, held a press conference, and then attempted to assert his authority by gathering department heads for a meeting.
When denied entry to the City Administrator's Office, Rosell instead took over the office previously held by the dismissed mayor Rama.
There, he issued memorandums to City Hall workers and publicly declared the return of Rama, despite the latter's dismissal from office.
Police intervened after receiving a complaint from current City Administrator Kristine Joyce Batucan and City Legal Officer Santiago Ortiz.
The two officials claimed that Rosell was acting beyond his authority, signing documents and giving orders as if he were still the city administrator.
After arriving at the mayor's office to confront Rosell, the police, led by Col. Antonietto Cañete, arrested him at around 6 p.m. despite Rosell's refusal to comply. Rosell was reportedly busy with paperwork and insisted that he had not committed any crime.
Rosell criticized the arrest, calling it "maximum harassment" and "maximum oppression." He claimed that the arrest was unlawful as there had been no warrant issued for his detention.
Lawyer Mikel Rama, son of the dismissed mayor, Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros and gubernatorial candidate Pamela Baricuatro visited Rosell during his detention, with Mikel raising concerns about the legality of the warrantless arrest.
However, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) defended the legality of the arrest. LtCol. Maria Theresa Macatangay, deputy director for operations of CCPO, explained that Rosell's actions amounted to impersonating a public official, which justified immediate action.
She explained that if someone falsely claims to be a police officer, they are arrested. She added that the same principle applied in Rosell's case, as he presented himself as the city administrator without any legal basis.
The incident has sparked further controversy, with Rosell's supporters, many of whom are loyal to the former mayor, claiming that the arrest was politically motivated.
Rosell, meanwhile, remains adamant that Rama is still the rightful mayor of Cebu City. He has also vowed to file countercharges against those involved in his arrest, including the police officers who detained him.
Rosell's legal team is currently preparing to challenge the charges of usurpation of authority and resisting arrest, questioning their validity.