Editorial: Rama’s ‘grandstanding’

IN A way, Rep. Tomas Osmeña was correct when he described Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama’s latest caper as “just grandstanding” and “all show business.” Rama filed last Tuesday complaints against Osmeña relative to his possession of two vehicles originally intended to be donated to the Cebu City Government by Michael Gleissner of Bigfoot Entertainment Inc.

No, he didn’t just file the complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.

Instead he did it with so much fanfare, accompanied by hundreds of supporters and some City Hall employees. Just consider it the Rama way of doing things.

Or was it Rama succumbing to the prodding of his advisers? Note that Rama hesitated earlier when asked about filing the complaint himself against Osmeña. The mayor must have been told later that, with the filing of the certificates of candidacy just a few weeks away, his candidacy will be better served if he milks the issue for all it is worth.

But no matter how much Osmeña will complain about Rama’s “grandstanding,” the fact remains that, for the first time since he maneuvered to muddle Rama’s rule, he has fallen into the defensive. Worse, it looks like this issue won’t go away as more and more details of the questionable acquisition and use of the two Dodge Chargers surface.

A TV Patrol report, for example, quoted Arnel Tancingco of the Land Transportation as divulging the following: one, the two vehicles were not registered in the years that Osmeña used them from 2009 to June this year, when Ma. Victorial “Minnie” Osmeña and his son Paulo bought them; two, that Minnie bought the two cars for only P400,000, which is far below their actual price and the over P1 million that Gleissner supposedly paid for their importation.

On this, Rama was wise enough to include Minnie and Paulo as respondents, ensuring that if the Ombudsman won’t dismiss the case outright, more drama will be provided in the investigation and litigation, if ever. Gleissner himself, already a Filipino citizen with the help of Osmeña, will have to be included in the probe.

But this seems to be just the beginning of Rama’s grandstanding. City Hall consultant Janesis Ponce told reporters more complaints will be filed by other groups against Osmeña. Which is another way of saying more mud will be dredged against him.

Sounds ominous but, in a highly politicized setup, not surprising.