Osmeña says Rama is a ‘liar’

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said his nemesis, former mayor Michael Rama, was lying about the P900 million worth of foreign pledges for the reconstruction of the Cebu City Medical Center.

Osmeña said Rama is just making up stories after the latter refused to disclose the names of the foreign individuals and entities who reportedly pledged to extent financial aid to the city government’s hospital.

“It only shows he’s (Rama) lying. The city paid for his trip there. He spent one month in the (United) States using the city’s money. He’s obligated to account for his time,” Osmeña said.

To show Rama is lying, Osmeña said he will ask foreign groups if they have really pledged to help finance the construction of the new 10-story hospital.

“I just want to demonstrate the people of the City of Cebu how he’s fooling them. He’s not fooling me,” Osmeña said.

The old CCMC building was demolished due to its massive damage from the 7.2- magnitude earthquake that hit the provinces of Cebu and Bohol in 2013.

Osmeña said Rama has been using the P900 million worth of alleged pledges for “propaganda.”

Sought for comment, Rama has denied Osmeña’s accusations.

“I’ve never known telling a lie. Is there a law requiring me to bring about the pledges?” he said.

Rama said he could not divulge yet the names of the international groups and entities, whom he visited abroad, because he is bound by “confidentiality.”

Rama said his party, the Team Rama, will be the one to make a follow up of the pledges.

As to the city’s reported expenses for his official trip abroad, Rama said, he could no longer remember if he used the city’s funds for his month-long travel in 2014.

Moreover, Rama said he will just wait for the decision of the Office of the President on the cases filed by the Team Rama against Osmeña.

The Team Rama is seeking for Osmeña’s suspension.

Once Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, a Team Rama ally, will sit as the acting mayor, Rama said, he will let Team Rama officials to follow up on the pledges from foreign entities.

“We will wait that he (Osmeña) will be suspended. We are not compelled to bring all these pledges because it was a Team Rama project, not BOPK,” Rama added.

Rama said he raised funds for the construction of the P1.5-billion CCMC building through the “Piso Mo, Hospital Ko” project.

The project raised P21.79 million from foreign and local donors. (FREEMAN)