Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña. (CDN FILE PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday said they were readying a case against Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña for his alleged link to a drug lord.
“We have an affidavit and a witness under the WPP (witness protection program) who is saying that he (Osmeña) is in the payroll of drug lords,” the DOJ chief said.
Aguirre identified the witness as Reynaldo Diaz alias “Jumbo” who executed an affidavit on Nov. 23, 2016. Diaz is the cousin of the late Jeffrey Diaz alias “Jaguar.”
In the affidavit of the witness, Aguirre said Osmeña allegedly received P2 million for hospitalization expenses in 2013 and P5-million during the 2016 elections.
“I authorize the release of his statement upon request of the Task Force Commander Against Illegal Drugs of the NBI to encourage individuals possessing additional knowledge or information to come forward and corroborate the same,” Aguirre said in a text message.
But Osmeña denied the allegation.
“That is not true. How can he use that as a defense that he is not guilty,” Osmeña said in a message to reporters.
Osmeña was referring to Aguirre’s alleged interference on the case that his city filed against SM Prime Holdings and BDO Unibank.
READ: Aguirre to Osmeña: Stop threatening me, just sue me
“He is just creating a desperate diversion for serving as a defense lawyer and judge for BDO and SM,” Osmeña added.