Rama: “Ambition, obsession”can kill alliance with Labella

CEBU, Philippines — Amid a looming political rivalry between him and his ally, former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama believes it would not be a threat to their alliance if “ambition and obsession” would be set aside.

Rama issued the statement following Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella’s admission that he is open to run for mayor if elections push through in May 2019.

“In a nutshell, ambition and obsession if only to be abated and curbed, it will always be no worry for division and disentanglement,” Rama told reporters.

He said the matter has to be thoroughly discussed among members of Barug Team Rama to avoid confusion and conflict among their supporters.

Rama said he welcomes the coalition with Partido DemokratikoPilipino- Laban and hope that the members of the national party would continue to be his allies in the local arena.

Labella was recently appointed as president of PDP-Laban Cebu City Chapter. Rama said that he remains hopeful that the members of Team Rama who are now with PDP-Laban will not forget everything that they’ve been through.

Rama declared his intention to reclaim the mayorship, which he said would have been his had he not been “cheated” in the last elections.

“As of now, it’s still a tale of the unexpected. I’m seeing time will handle all the matters. Everything will unfold in due time,” he said.

“Basta mag sige lang mi’g kita, sige lang og estorya, open lang ang line, dili lang magbuko-buko og istorya,” he added.

Rama said he does not want to see a forthcoming conflict between him and Labella, his runningmate in the past two elections.

He said he is optimistic that the matter will be resolved in due time with only one of them will go against incumbent Mayor Tomas Osmeña in the next elections.

Labella has agreed, saying the coalition of PDP-Laban Cebu City Chapter and Barug Team Rama means that the group should have one mayoralty bet.

Osmeña, on the other hand, welcome Labella as his potential opponent.

But the mayor believes that his greatest rivals in the next elections would not be Labella, Rama, or even Presidential Assistant Michael Dino but the big business establishments he ran after for alleged tax violations.

Osmeña said he has been eyeing to rescind the city’s contract with the giant companies who bought a portion of the South Road Properties during the administration of  Rama.

Osmeña believes that many people are going against him in the next elections because of the possible funding that will be given by giant firms. But he said the people of the city know best in choosing their leaders.

 “I don’t know. I’ve been asked questions like that and I can only tell you that it’s up to the people of Cebu. It’s not up to them, and it’s not up to me. If Cebuanos will vote for them, I will lose. If Cebuanos will vote for me, I will win. This is an election. It’s the people who will decide,” he said. —/FPL (FREEMAN)