CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City south district Representative Tomas Osmeña admitted that he cannot promise a 12-0 win for the Team PNoy senatorial candidates in the city.
“I am just one vote. That would be very presumptuous if I promise a 12-0,†Osmeña said during a press conference arranged by Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines yesterday.
Osmeña, the Liberal Party chairman in the city, however said that he is campaigning hard for the entire slate of the Team PNoy.
The chairman of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan is running against reelectionist Mayor Michael Rama of the United Nationalist Alliance and Team Rama.
During the event yesterday, ALU-TUCP formally endorsed almost all candidates of BOPK and one candidate of Team Rama.
Of the 20 BOPK bets vying for various positions in the city, only former councilor Nestor Archival was not included on the list of candidates endorsed by the labor group.
Art Barrit, head of the labor union’s education department, said they had explained to Osmeña that they cannot endorse all BOPK candidates because they have to support Boobi Kintanar of the Team Rama.
Kintanar’s father, Vicente “Jun†Kintanar, had helped dyLA secure its franchise.
Barrit said they gave Osmeña the chance to decide who among the BOPK candidates for the council to be excluded from the endorsement of ALU-TUCP, which has 18,000 members in the city.
Osmeña explained that he decided that Archival be excluded from the endorsement since Archival always tops the surveys among the north district candidates for the council.
“Bisan pa og dili iapil pag-endorse si Archival sa ALU-TUCP sigurado gihapon siya nga modaug,†Osmeña said.
Barrit said they decided to endorse Osmeña and most of his slate because during his stint as mayor, he had helped the Oriental Port and Allied Services Corporation (OPASCOR), an affiliate of ALU-TUCP.
The Freeman tried to reach Rama for his comment but the mayor was busy with his campaign yesterday.
According to the Commission on Elections, Cebu City has 647,681 registered voters with 248,292 voters from the North district while 399,389 voters from the South district.
During the press conference, ALU-TUCP also endorsed nine senatorial candidates.
Of the nine senatorial candidates, seven are from Team PNoy, one from the United Nationalist Alliance and one independent. (See separate story on page 6)
The seven Team PNoy senatorial candidates are reelectionist Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Loren Legarda, former Akbayan Party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros, Aurora Rep. Edgardo “Sonny†Angara, Bam Aquino, Grace Poe and former Las Piñas City Rep. Cynthia Villar.
San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor “JV†Ejercito Estrada was the only candidate from UNA who made it to the list, which also included independent candidate Eddie Villanueva.
TUCP said that the nine senatorial candidates “have championed the rights of the workers.â€
TUCP is the oldest and most established labor federation in the country with over a hundred labor unions nationwide.
Villar and Legarda earlier thanked TUCP for the endorsement and vow that they will continue their programs intended for the workers. -/LPM (FREEMAN)