Sen. John Osmeņa accused
of rape, cries foul
Posted: 6:01 AM (Manila Time) | Apr. 01, 2004
Inquirer News Service with INQ7.net

A 24-YEAR-OLD male who confessed to be a *** worker surfaced Wednesday and accused administration senatorial candidate John Osmeņa of "raping" him in a popular resort in Tagaytay City in February 2004.

Osmeņa's media staff chief Eliseo Maraon quickly dismissed the charges as "plain and simple harassment."


"The motive is questionable especially this time of campaign," Maraon told the Inquirer. "We are still ascertaining the people behind this demolition job."

In a complaint filed with the Tagaytay municipal trial court, Diego Gomez said he agreed to meet with Osmeņa, whom he described as a regular customer, on Feb. 5, 2004. He identified the reelectionist senator in his affidavit as "Mike."

Gomez told GMA Network's 24 Oras that Osmeņa agreed that they would use condom and not engage in anal ***. However, Gomez claimed, Osmeņa violated their agreement when the senator allegedly forced his finger into his anus.

According to Gomez, Osmeņa even handcuffed him to the bedpost when he felt dizzy after a shot of Scotch whiskey.

In Cebu province, Vice Gov. John Gregory Osmeņa came to the defense of his father, saying that politics was behind this "dirty campaign."

"My dad is 69 years old. Knowing my father all my life, he's not violent by nature," said the vice governor.

The younger Osmeņa said the allegations against his father were obviously politically motivated aimed at ruining his reelection bid under the administration's Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan para sa Kinabukasan (Coalition of Experience and Truth for the Future), or K-4.

The Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines (ProGay) on Wednesday asked for sobriety from the public amidst the media frenzy over the rape charges filed against Osmeņa by a supposed victim.

Michael Urbano, spokesperson for ProGay, said sensational reports tend to worsen the feelings of homophobia among Filipinos, who traditionally think of male homo***uals as predators and exploiters.

"We feel sad that gays are again being scandalized and political opponents are using homo***uality issues to attack each other," Urbano said in a statement.

"So many straight politicians are dragged into *** scandals, yet their hetero***ual excesses are not questioned," he added. Reports from Joel Francis Guinto of INQ7.net and Michael Lim Ubac and Jolene R. Bulambot of Inquirer News Service