Osmeña dares Rama anew to take lie test

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has reiterated his challenge to former mayor Michael Rama for them to undergo a polygraph test to find out who was the real protector of the late suspected drug lord Jeffrey "Jaguar" Diaz.

The mayor was reacting to Rama's claim that he was a victim of misinformation. Osmeña said Rama did not do anything to suppress illegal activities during his incumbency as mayor.

According to Osmeña, there are two questions that he and Rama should answer if the latter agrees to take the lie detector test with him; If they asked Diaz to give them money and if they receive money from the said drug lord.

"I don't think so, but I am giving him opportunities to vindicate himself. I challenged him and I will challenge him again, the two of them (Superintendent Romeo) Santander to submit their selves to a lie detector test with me," Osmeña said.

Santander was also named by President Rodrigo Duterte as one of the police officials allegedly protecting drug lords. He was the former chief of the City Intelligence Branch and a trusted officer of Rama.

Osmeña said he will also include his trusted police official, former Regional Special Operations Group-7 chief George Ylanan, in the lie detector test.

Ylanan was among the 18 policemen named by self-confessed drug lord Franz Sabalones allegedly receiving protection money from him.

Osmeña earlier said he did not believe Ylanan was protecting Sabalones because he was allegedly a very good police officer. In fact, it was Ylanan and Superintendent Rex Derilo who neutralized Diaz during an operation in Las Piñas City.

The mayor said Ylanan told him that Sabalones would have been their next target had he not been transferred.

 Rama, however, refused to take the challenge, saying he was not known for lying.

"No, I would be the one asking him. Did I make a statement regarding Jaguar? Did I? Did I have said that I received offer from Jaguar? I never, so the one should undergo lie detector is him not me," Rama said.

Rama said he will just wait for the next pronouncement of the president hoping that he will also be cleared.

Duterte earlier issued public apology to at least three officials from Pangasinan who were allegedly mistakenly included in the drug protectors' list. (FREEMAN)