Atty. Mike Rama: An underrated leader

When President Rodrigo Roa Duterte raised the hands of vice mayoralty bet Mike Rama, that auspicious presidential act conveyed a million unspoken words. It was, among others, an overt act of recognition of the underrated stature of the former mayor of Cebu City, a vindication of a truly innocent man.

Mike Rama is not an ordinary run-of-the-mill politician. He has a vision for Cebu and a mission for his people. This is the grandson of the great Don Vicente Rama, the father of the Cebu City charter, a long-time member of Congress, both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This guy carries the blood of an accomplished journalist and consummate writer. Mike Rama had been maligned, ridiculed and subjected to many unfair and unfounded accusations by people who either hate him or who really do not know him well. It is easy to cast aspersions at candidates, like Mike Rama, but those who have no evidence at all, to me, would stand to be charged of libel or defamation. They better keep their mouth shut. Those who have evidence, let them file their charges in court. They cannot assassinate the character of a good man nor subject him to trial by publicity where biased people presume him to be guilty until proven innocent.

I am not an unbiased witness when it comes to former mayor Mike Rama. He was my student in his freshman College of Law and since that day in 1977 when I saw him in the Gullas Law School I have already seen greatness in the young man. He was full of enthusiasm; he talked sense and was always ready to express himself in his own passionate and engaging ways. He was one of the groomsmen in my wedding in 1978 and he even followed me as an HR (human resource manager) practitioner. He also focused on labor and employee relations. Both of us are DOLE/NCMB accredited voluntary arbitrators. I was Director for Labor Relations in San Miguel Corporation and he was HR Director of Cebu Oxygen and Acetylene Company (COACO) of the Aboitiz Group of Companies.

In the private sector, had Mike remained as an HR executive or a labor relations practitioner, by this time, he could have been already, at the very least vice president or senior vice president for HR of a big conglomerate. He has gained expertise in labor laws. In my lectures, both in the college of law and in the bar review, I always mention that Mike's company won before the Supreme Court. He was both the HR manager and the lawyer of COACO. Because of Mike's excellent legal arguments, the company won that case before the Supreme Court. And yet, another case involving Meycauayan College concerning the same set of circumstances was lost by management. It was handled by another HR manager and another lawyer. I am proud then of my former law student.

Beyond the classroom and the courtroom, I have seen Mike interact with people. I have seen his decisions and actions. I discern that he has the makings of an even greater leader. He is a good material for the House of Representative and even for the Senate. He thinks well and acts well. He can communicate excellently. He has a very strong power of expression. He can be very articulate and eloquent. He can debate well and argue effectively. He has a wide perspective of the world and of the events as they impact on his city and people. He can analyze thins and can plan strategically. He makes good decisions and his choices of people are largely right and righteous.

Of course, Mike is not perfect. He is too human and has his own frailties; he has his own faults, and who doesn't? He has rather a colorful love life. Many women say that he is such a lovely, romantic man, sings well and has his own ways with girls. But that is all there is to it. No other vices and no drugs, at all. Mike Rama has a hidden greatness intrinsic in him, overshadowed only by malicious gossips and unfounded rumors. But no one -- mark my word -- no one can put a really good man down.