Osmeña not on PNP drug list

Outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa told reporters that Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is not on PNP’s list of drug protectors. Dela Rosa’s statement backs an earlier pronouncement by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) which also cleared Osmeña of any drug involvement. CDN FILE PHOTO

First, it was the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that cleared him. Now comes, outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is not on the PNP list of drug personalities, said Dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa explained that it was Reynaldo “Jumbo” Diaz, cousin of slain Cebu drug lord Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz, who claimed that Osmeña was a drug protector.

Jumbo was arrested by police in Matnog, Sorsogon in September 2016 but was turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“Insofar as the PNP is concerned, we do not have any document or evidence that would link him (Osmeña) to illegal drugs,” said Dela Rosa in a press conference during the launching of the 26th Defense and Sporting Arms Show at SM City Cebu on Thursday morning.

Dela Rosa said police could not just conduct an investigation against Osmeña since there was no evidence that linked the mayor to the drugs trade.

“For now, there’s really no proof, and we just could not fabricate allegations against any person,” he said.

With or without Dela Rosa’s statement, Osmeña said he can prove that he has not been involved in the illegal drugs trade.

“I assure the Cebuanos that I will never compromise the interest of the city. My conscience is clear,” he said in a text message to Cebu Daily News.

Osmeña added that he was still willing to face any charges that will be filed against him.

Last March 26, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II accused Osmeña of being a drug protector.

Aguirre said Jumbo executed an affidavit on Nov. 23, 2016, claiming Osmeña got P2 million in 2013 and P5 million in 2016 from Jaguar.
Osmeña challenged Aguirre to prove the allegations and to file a case against him.

The mayor said Aguirre’s claims were just “diversionary tactics” intended to steer public attention away from the cases he filed against SM and BDO.

Osmeña had accused Aguirre of ordering the dismissal of the criminal complaint he filed against SM and BDO which allegedly paid a measly P35 in taxes to the Cebu City government in 2015.

Just recently, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino also said the mayor was not on President Rodrigo Duterte’s list of alleged narco-politicians.