Tom mulls case vs Rama for loyalty check on execs

For allegedly soliciting support to his reelection bid from 22 City Hall department and division chiefs, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama may be charged with violating election laws.

Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district said yesterday he will ask his lawyers to study what laws the mayor has violated .

“Imagine what will happen if Rama also starts asking the police are you supporting me?,” he said.

“That (soliciting the support of city hall department heads and even employees) is an election offense. He (Rama) is just so desperate because he knows that he is losing,” the congressman added.

Rama said Osmeña was free to file cases against him. But he wanted Osmeña’s complaint to be filed against him first before he would issue further comments.

“Ayaw lang siya patakaa ug storya kay wala siya didto (sa meeting) (He shouldn’t be so presumptuous in making up a story. He wasn’t there at the meeting,” the mayor added.

Rama reportedly called City Hall department and division chiefs to a meeting late Wednesday afternoon to ask who among them were prepared to support his re-election bid.

At least six department heads were reported to have walked out from the meeting.

Rama said he posed the question because he wanted to be certain who are prepared to support his administration. But he said he won’t begrudge those who either support or don’t join him.

BO-PK lawyers earlier filed a complaint against Rama and Team Rama before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for hanging a tarpaulin outside of the Department for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) office. The office is located at the second floor of the City Hall legislative building.

A second complaint was filed before the Ombudsman-Visayas for Team Rama’s alleged use of City Hall resources and employees as anchors of Rama’s radio program.

Rama said while government employees and even barangay officials are supposed to be non-partisan, in reality this is no longer the case.

He said even President Aquino visited Cebu City yesterday to campaign for Team PNoy candidates. But Osmeña said what Rama did and Aquino’s campaigning are two different things.

“When the president allows us to use Malacañang as BO-PK headquarters, that is partisan politics,” he said. With Correspondent Edison A. delos Angeles