Rama pushes through with drug test

A laboratory staff at Hi-Precision takes hair follicle samples from former mayor Michael Rama to be used as specimen for his drug test. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Former mayor Michael Rama took a drug test in a private clinic on Saturday morning despite the no-show of his political nemesis Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Rama arrived at Plaza Independencia at 9 a.m. and waited for Osmeña for 45 minutes before deciding to go Hi-Precision Diagnostics along Osmeña Boulevard in Cebu City and take the drug test alone.

Former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama waits for Mayor Tomas Osmeña at Plaza Independencia. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

There was no sign of Osmeña showing up at the venue.

Rama said he did not expect Osmeña to take up his challenge.

The former mayor submitted urine and hair follicle samples. The results would be released in 14 days.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña posted this in his Facebook page at around 9:15 a.m. on Saturday while Rama waits for him at Plaza Independencia (Tommy Osmeña Facebook page)

Osmeña, however, posted on his Facebook page Tommy Osmeña a photo with a caption “Getting ready for my drug test at around 9:15 a.m. on Saturday.

The photo showed an invitation card for a Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party at 1 p.m. and two small cans of Alpine evaporated milk, which was said to help flush out traces of illegal substance from the body.

In a press conference on Friday, Rama challenged Osmeña to a “one-on-one” drug test on Saturday and said he would wait for the incumbent mayor at Plaza Independencia at 9 a.m. so they could take the drug test together and end allegations that the former mayor was a drug user.

During the campaign last May 9 elections, Rama had to parry attacks from the Osmeña camp that he was drug user and a drug protector -charges that he had strongly denied and tagged as political attacks.

Osmeña said he accepted the challenge but would not show up at the Plaza Independencia because he would do it on his own terms.