Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama’s camp is tracing the identities of Facebook users who continue to spread rumors about the mayor’s health and insinutate that he has a problem with drugs, an allegation Rama has repeatedly denied.
One of Rama’s lawyers, Joy Pesquera, said they are not targeting all netizens contrary to claims made by former mayor Tomas Osmeña in his Facebook post last Monday evening.
“Tomas just wanted to be talked about. He just wants free publicity. It’s not necessarily the netizens, just his (Osmeña’s) attack dogs,” Pesquera said.
She said most of the Facebook users acting this way are just being used by Osmena’s camp.
“(We are) checking their real identity. The crime of libel does not prescribe in one year. For now, we are recording and saving all the libelous statements,” Pesquera said.
Osmeña challenged Mayor Rama to sue him instead of going after online critics after saying in his official Facebook page that “MAYOR RAMA HAS A SERIOUS DRUG PROBLEM.”
He noticed that Rama would tag Facebook posts of critics with a note referring the message to the city legal officer.
Osmeña did not offer direct proof of drug abuse other than drawing a conclusion from what he said was the mayor’s lack of interest in solving the problem of illegal drugs in Cebu City and his refusal in the past two years to let city officials take a drug screening test.
“I’m saying the same things the Netizens of Cebu are saying. We’ve all connected the dots. Why single out Netizens? How many years has it been since your cousin would say in your pulong-pulongs (gatherings) that I will die of cancer soon? I never sued him. Pick on someone your own size. Sue. ME,” Osmeña posted on Facebook.
Rama, who is in Luzon with 45 Cebu City Hall department heads on a study tour (Lakbay Aral), said his lawyers are assessing whether to press charges against those who raise these allegations against him on Facebook.
Osmeña has capitalized on the recent raid of a drug den operating across the street from City Hall.
Mayor Rama later ordered the removal of two police outposts near City Hall for their failure to detect the drug activity .
The loss of weight in the mayor’s lanky frame has also been the target of insinuations by Osmeña and other critics.
Rama earlier explained that he’s been watching his diet more carefully since his family has a history of diabetes.
“Just tell me that I’m an addict and I’ll sue him (Osmeña). Is he accusing me directly, publicly? He better make that statement. Because if he’s going to make that statement, then I will consult with my lawyer what ought to be done against him,” he said through a telephone conference.
Rama said he already underwent a drug test a few weeks ago with other City Hall department heads before the Cebu City Office of Substance Abuse Prevention (Cosap) and that results were negative.
On the city police’s performance against illegal drugs, Rama said it should be Chief Supt. Prudencio Bañas, Police Regional Office (PRO-7) chief, who should answer if they’ve been doing their job.
The mayor said his lawyers are gathering evidence and assessing if he should file cases against certain Facebook users or not.
He said Team Rama will come out with their official party stand on the matter.
“Their approach (Osmena) is destruction and that would not be too good. That’s why on my part, and on the part of my family, and on the party’s side, I will be asking my group whether it has also affected them and then they will probably tell me and suggest an overall position of the party,” he said.
Osmeña also stated that it has been the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which the city government doesn’t control, doing most of the drug raids and not the Cebu City Police Office.
“In my time, drug dealers weren’t defended, they were shot. Do you want drug addicts working in the government offices that serve you? Do you want barangay tanods who patrol your streets to possibly be drug addicts themselves because the mayor is against setting guidelines in their hiring,” he said.
In his post, Osmeña also included links to several news articles that came out regarding the mayor’s statements on the drug raids and results of drug tests conducted on City Hall and barangay workers.
He also called the mayor a “coward” for “intimidating” Facebook users commenting about the illegal drugs situation in the city.
Screenshots of the comments made by an account named Mayor Michael Rama on posts in the Facebook group Maghisgot Kitag Politika, Bay would tag the accounts of City Attorney Jerone Castillo and the Cebu City Public Information Office in response to some people’s comments on the mayor’s statements.
Osmeña encouraged netizens to seek his help if ever they find themselves being personally targeted by Rama’s camp.
“Netizens of Cebu, I stand with you. If anyone is being personally targeted by Mike Rama or someone in the city government acting on his behalf, please message me with screenshots or call my office at 032 254 2800. I will stand up for you,” he said in his post.
As of 6 p.m. yesterday, Osmena’s post had more than 1,400 likes and 522 shares.