Former Cebu City acting mayor Raymond Alvin Neri Garcia has been ordered to face administrative penalties after the Office of the Ombudsman ruled him guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service — stemming from unauthorized cockfighting derbies held inside a hotel and casino in Cebu City during 2024.
The Ombudsman made the ruling public through a press release on October 29, 2026. SunStar Cebu reported that the 15-page decision, dated January 6, 2026, bears the approval of Ombudsman Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla. The penalty imposed is a six-month suspension without pay.
Three Separate Derby Events Held in Violation of Law
According to the Ombudsman's decision, three sets of cockfighting derbies took place at the hotel and casino venue: the first on May 23 to 24, the second on August 27 to 29, and the third from October 11 to 18, all in 2024. The ruling found that all three events were conducted in breach of Presidential Decree No. 449, or the Cockfighting Law of 1974.
PD 449 limits cockfighting to authorized venues and licensed cockpits, and confines special cockfighting events to specific occasions — no more than once a year per province, city, or municipality, and lasting no longer than three days at a time.
The Ombudsman's decision described the casino as "plainly neither a licensed cockpit nor a playground or park" under PD 449, concluding that the venue alone rendered the activities unlawful.
Garcia's Inaction Characterized as Inexcusable Neglect
The Ombudsman determined that Garcia's failure to raise objections to the casino as a venue — and his tolerance of repeated multi-day events — amounted to conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. The decision stated: "By allowing the activities to proceed without objection despite their patent illegality, respondent Garcia exhibited inexcusable neglect of duty."
SunStar Cebu also reported that the decision cited the absence of required approvals from the Cebu City Sports Commission, the Cebu City Police Office, and the Office of the City Mayor — gaps that appeared in checklists attached to conditional permits issued by the city's Business Permit and Licensing Office.
Penalty Converted to Fine Since Garcia Left Office
Because Garcia is no longer in government service, the Office of the Ombudsman said the six-month suspension without pay cannot be enforced in its original form. In its place, the penalty will be converted into a fine equivalent to six months of Garcia's basic salary.
The Ombudsman noted that the amount may be deducted from his retirement benefits, accrued leave credits, or other receivables owed to him by the government.
Garcia Contests Scope of His Approval
Garcia has filed a motion for reconsideration. In a statement posted on his Facebook page and cited by SunStar Cebu, Garcia argued that the Letter of No Objection he issued on April 23, 2024 — which covered only the two-day derby on May 23 and 24 — was explicitly made subject to existing laws and regulations, and did not constitute a final special permit or an unconditional authorization.
Garcia further told the Ombudsman that he did not authorize the October 11 to 18 event and had declined to approve the corresponding application. SunStar Cebu reported that the city subsequently issued a show-cause order against both the promoter and the venue in connection with that event.
Garcia also noted that the ruling does not carry the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from public office, and that the decision remains subject to reconsideration while his motion is pending.
Other Officials Also Facing Proceedings
The original complaint included former Cebu City Police Office director Antonietto Ybañez Cañete. The Ombudsman referred that complaint to its Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices in view of Cañete's standing as a uniformed member of the Philippine National Police.
SunStar Cebu additionally reported that the Ombudsman ordered a separate fact-finding investigation into two Games and Amusements Board officials in relation to permits issued for the October events.
Background: Garcia's Role as Acting Mayor
The events at the center of the case occurred while Garcia was serving as acting mayor of Cebu City, a post he assumed in May 2024 after then-mayor Michael Rama was placed under preventive suspension. Garcia subsequently became the city's full mayor following Rama's dismissal by the Ombudsman. The administrative complaint against Garcia was filed in November 2024.
Source: SunStar Cebu