Cebu City Government employees and supporters gathered at the Plaza Sugbo grounds in front of the City Hall in the late afternoon to early evening on May 9, 2024 for a prayer rally to show their support to Mayor Michael Rama.

According to the Cebu City Public Information Office, the prayer rally was organized in response to the mayor's six-month preventive suspension order, and upon seven other officials, by the Office of the Ombudsman in relation to complaints made by four regular City Hall employees. 

Rama, in an interview with DYSS Super Radyo GMA, said that the suspension order upon him is "politically motivated."

In a 10-page resolution, the Office of the Ombudsman Manila found sufficient grounds to put the mayor and seven other City Hall officials under suspension for grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of public officer, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, grave abuse of authority, and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for public officials and employees.

The decision was issued on May 8, 2024. 

The suspension order stemmed from the complaints of four regular employees at the City Assessor’s Office who were reassigned to other City Hall offices but have been unpaid of salaries and benefits since July 2023.

The four employees who worked as tax mappers and local assessment operations officers with salary grades ranging from P16,000 to P35,000 monthly have been moved from the Office of the City Assessor, and reassigned to the Cebu City Anti-Mendicancy Office, South Road Properties Management Office, Cebu City Ooperation Second Chance, and Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources, respectively.