Rama sorry for IEC selfie

CEBU, Philippines - Rather than hitting at his opponents and critics, suspended Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama chose humility when he faced the media yesterday.

“Whoever have been bothered, affected, confused, and bewildered, I am expressing my apology to them… I’m sorry if it disenchanted some, disturbed, confused… others,” he told a press conference.

He issued the statement after former mayor Tomas Osmeña criticized him earlier for allegedly disrupting the closing Mass of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress last Sunday.

Rama took a selfie with admirers while the Communion was ongoing.

 “(I have) no intent to hurt them, no intent to even desecrate the whole historic event. I’m just perhaps, nalipay ra sad ko…. (To) those coming out with their reaction, I’m sorry,” he said.

Rama said the incident happened away from the San Pedro Calungsod templete, where the altar was, as he went to the open area away from where the delegates’ area was supposedly to just check the crowd situation.

While checking the area, he said, he stepped into an elevated platform and took photos of the huge crowd surrounding him.

“Pag-abot sa communion, I told Bo (SRP administrator Robert Vasquez), ‘Come here (and) we’ll take a look what’s beyond.’ Pagtan-aw gyud nako, naabot sa viaduct ang mga tawo…. Nisaka ko to take a picture to see what is really the situation because that will give us a better foresight,” Rama said.

He said that he just wanted to anticipate what must be done when the people start dispersing after the Mass.

“Pagsige nako’g picture ana, ang naa sa atubangan nako sige sad sila’g picture nako. Now naay niingon nga ‘mayor selfie ‘ta’. Tua na man ko sa ibabaw so nag-selfie na lang pud ko apil sila. Actually gusto sila paapil sa picture nga naa ko,” Rama said.

During the press conference, he took out a January 3 copy of The FREEMAN and pointed out that the people enjoyed the whole thing.

“Kita ka? Lingaw kaayo ang mga tawo og kuha nako. Pirmiro ana sila tanan ako gikuhaan og picture…. Ako ra man gyud ilang (critics) nakit-an, while the rest are doing a lot of picture taking even during the Mass.  Why should you blame people (for) taking a picture? That was (a) historic (event),” he said.

On his political opponents who keep on lambasting him, Rama advised them to focus on promoting their own merits rather than issuing negative statements against him and his camp.  — (FREEMAN)