Rama denies hand in fake USC survey

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama denied any involvement in the spread of a fake university poll survey that showed he is winning in the mayoralty race. “Wala koy kalibutan ana. I’m not manipulating the supposed survey results. Wala ko’y hand ana,” Rama told reporters. The mayor said such tactics are normally attributed to the camp of his opponentl, south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña. “Ila man ng trabaho niadto. Wala ko kahibalo bahin ana,” Rama said. He then asked reporters to recall a time when he and his party distributed information on election surveys. “Nagpakita ba gud ko’g survey results sa inyoha? Nanghatag ba gud ko? Uso ba gud na nako?” the Team Rama chairman said. He said he and his party mates are busy campaigning and that they do not have time to plot false survey results to appear they are winning in the May 13 local elections. But Osmeña, chairman and campaign manager of Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), said the false survey that implicated the Liberal Party revealed Rama’s dirty tricks. The University of San Carlos denied having conducted such survey, saying it only conduct independent surveys. “The unauthorized and malicious use of the name of the country’s oldest educational institution could be an indication of how low Mike Rama will go to project power,” Osmeña said in a text message sent to reporters. He alleged that Rama will do anything to advance his political aspirations. “I know that he is willing to step on people’s faces that may include me, his party, his old colleagues in the council, police commanders, and cabinet members,” Osmeña added.