Former mayor Michael Rama, shown here with Team Rama-allied barangay officials at a press conference, had been seeking an audience with President Rodrigo Duterte to clear his name of drug-coddling charges. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
Former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama approached Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma for help in seeking an audience with President Rodrigo Duterte to clear his name from allegations that he protected drug dealers in the city.
Palma confirmed this when asked by reporters after he presided over the Chrism Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral yesterday morning.
But the 67-year-old prelate begged off from giving details about the meeting.
“He asked me whether I have a way of reaching out to some people. I said yes, but it is not proper to broadcast what transpired between me and him. We should also respect certain confidentiality,” Palma said.
Rama, who served as mayor of Cebu City from 2010 to 2016, was among several mayors named as drug protectors by President Duterte last year.
Rama denied the allegations.
Rama repeatedly expressed his intent to personally talk to Mr. Duterte in order to clear his name, but he never had the chance to do so.
Palma’s disclosure came as Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña brushed aside allegations that he leaked the initial drug test results of Busay barangay chairman Amilo Lopez that showed him positive for drug use.
The drug test was conducted by the City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (Cosap) last year. The results were supposed to be confidential.
Lopez, a Team Rama ally, is asking the Ombudsman-Visayas to investigate whether it was Cosap head Dr. Alice Utlang, Osmeña or a media practitioner who disclosed the initial drug test results.
“It is up to him. He is entitled to do that. If you have to investigate, that is fine with me. I have other things I’m occupied with. Mr. Lopez has rights to ask for anything. But he was not and will not be under my radar,” Osmeña said.
While Lopez’s confirmation test showed him negative for drug use, Osmeña said Lopez should explain why he initially tested positive for drug use.