Former Cebu City mayor Mike Rama holds a press conference in his ancestral home to answer anew allegations made by Mayor Tomas Osmeña that he received drug money from Jaguar. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO).
Former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama vented his ire anew on accusations by Mayor Tomas Osmeña that he received P10 million in drug money from Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz.
“I want to make this clear. I am not a drug lord protector. I do not know who Jaguar is. I never received drug money in my 20 years of public service. That’s why I’m a little bit appalled because accusations of that level are highly reprehensible, absurd, incredulous and even highly preposterous,” Rama said.
During a press conference he called at the Rama Ancestral House in Barangay Basak, San Nicolas yesterday morning, Rama said the accusations hurled at him have gone “below the belt” and reiterated his threat to charge Osmeña with libel, although he would not categorically say when he would file the complaint before the prosecutor’s office.
Before his press conference, Rama met with some Team Rama councilors at the Rama compound where they discussed several recent issues concerning the city.
“Tommy, you better prepare. As I have said, I will file cases against you. My family and Team Rama are all in concurrence for the damage and hate you have prompted against my family and me, personally,” Rama said.
He pointed out that it was Osmeña who admitted to being approached by Jaguar’s camp and offered money which Osmeña said he refused. Rama said it should be Osmeña who should explain to the people his links with Jaguar.
He said if anyone has a link to Jaguar, it would be Osmeña because Jaguar allegedly supported the incumbent mayor during the last two elections.
“The facts speak for themselves. I have never won an election in Duljo- Fatima, Jaguar’s territory. Even in 2013… Everyone in Duljo knows who Jaguar supported and it was Tomas Osmeña, not Mike Rama,” he said.
The former mayor also said he is still willing to undergo a lie detector test with the mayor.
Osmeña downplayed Rama’s statements, which was earlier dubbed by his media liaison officers as a “bombshell.”
He reiterated his challenge to Rama for them to undergo the lie detector test. Osmeña said he is already in talks with the Drug Enforcement Agency of the Unite States government and that he will be inviting them be the witness of their lie detector test.
Osmeña also welcomed Rama’s acceptance of the challenge.
“Okay, good. Ato ipa-lie detector test so he can vindicate himself because one of his contentions is that he’s not guilty. So why are you hiding?” Osmeña said in a phone interview.