John Osmeña assured of Palace backing amid rape rap

Malacañang officials, the administration coalition and former President Fidel Ramos expressed yesterday their full support for the candidacy of embattled re-electionist Sen. John Osmeña, who is part of President Arroyo’s senatorial ticket in the May polls.

A confessed "call boy" or male prostitute earlier filed charges of rape against Osmeña, saying the senator allegedly hired him last Feb. 5 for "anal sex" in a private lodge in Tagaytay City.

Osmeña vehemently denied the allegation and said certain people identified with Ramos are behind the "harassment" suit against him.

He suspects that Ramos, chairman emeritus of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party, wants him out of the Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4) to make room for former Lakas spokesman Heherson Alvarez, who is running for a Senate seat as an independent.

Ramos denied involvement in the rape case filed against Osmeña.

"I think that what’s important is for the good senator, as well as the (campaign) managers of President Arroyo and the K-4 coalition is to find out who the real culprit (is) because obviously there is someone doing this, not me. Why should I?" he asked.

Ramos pointed out that the culprits "are probably laughing behind our backs right now because they are seeing that there’s some kind of internal conflict taking place."

Ramos, who attended a meeting yesterday of the Anti-Terrorism Task Force as one of its advisers, aired his support for Osmeña.

"As chair emeritus of the Lakas-CMD, which is the lead party in the K-4 coalition, I’m campaigning for the entire national ticket, including the 12 senatorial candidates of the coalition, including Senator Osmeña," he said.

"Having said that, I hope that the concerns and even maybe the insecurities of Senator Osmeña would be removed," Ramos added.

Ramos said the photo Osmeña had shown to the media, which shows him raising Alvarez’s hand, was taken last Feb. 25 during the 18th anniversary of the EDSA I people power revolt.

He said he has told "common friends," such as Senate President Franklin Drilon, of his desire to meet and talk with Osmeña. Drilon is one of Ramos’ fellow advisers to the Anti-Terrorism Task Force.

"Because I don’t want this to become a bigger issue than what has come out so far. So whatever is said by him or others, be it in their defense of him or in defense him of me, would just add more fuel to the fire," Ramos said.

"That’s why I’m here to clarify that whether there is such a case or not, whether it’s true or false, and I hope it’s false and many people have already come out to say that it’s untrue. My immediate concern now is for the entire national ticket of President Arroyo to come out successfully," he added.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye, in his press briefing yesterday, said the Palace fully supports Osmeña’s candidacy.

"What we can say is we are solidly behind the whole K-4 senatorial slate and we do not wish to add further to what President Ramos has already said," he told reporters.

When asked why the Palace was "behind" Osmeña, a poker-faced Bunye replied, "We’re fully supporting the whole K-4 slate."

"I believe the explanation of President Ramos is sufficient to lower the temperature. From hereon, I think we could move forward and we can really campaign without any further distractions as far as this particular case is concerned," he said.

Michael Defensor, Mrs. Arroyo’s official campaign spokesman, told radio station dzMM yesterday that "there is no truth" to Osmeña’s suspicions of attempts to junk him from the K-4 senatorial slate.

"We are 101 percent supportive of him in this case, including his campaign (for reelection)," he said. "Definitely, there is no such thing taking place. We hope to iron (this) out immediately..."

In January this year, Osmeña, along with Sen. Rodolfo Biazon and former senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, jumped from the opposition to the administration ticket.

Osmeña, who was supposed to run for senator under the opposition Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP), was convinced by the President to run as a guest candidate in the administration’s senatorial ticket after she promised him she will convince Drilon to pass a measure pending in the Senate calling for a constitutional convention to amend the Charter.

Biazon had taken an indefinite leave of absence from the opposition Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) in November last year, and was sworn in as a member of the pro-administration Liberal Party (LP) in January.

Santiago, disappointed that she was not drafted as the vice presidential bet of movie actor Fernando Poe Jr., instead opted to run for senator as guest candidate of K-4.