CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña believes that a former councilor could be a hindrance to the mayoralty ambition of Vice Mayor Michael Rama.
Osmeña said that former councilor Jocelyn Pesquera has made Rama make bad decisions.
He also said that there is a big possibility that his wife, Margot, will be the one to seek the congressional seat in the South District believing that she is a stronger bet than his sister, Minnie.
The mayor said that if this will happen, Rama will have a better adviser in Margot.
“If not for anything else, it’s really good for Mike, because I can tell the barangay captains at least naa diha si Margot and also because I don’t like Joy Pesquera, I will not support her,” said the mayor.
But Rama, who arrived from Hong Kong last night, denied being influenced by Pesquera in any of his decisions.
Rama assured that he will be his own man and would not be pressured by Pesquera or anyone else since he is the one running for mayor.
Osmeña said he already told Rama to be careful with Pesquera.
Contrary to the statement of opposition leader and businessman Jonathan Guardo that Rama is merely a rubber stamp, Osmeña said Rama defied him and most of the time this was caused by the ill-advice of Pesquera.
“She’s the mastermind in the spoiling of the land swap, the Hino dump truck, tanan tanan she is the guiding light ni Mike Rama,” Osmeña said.
He said most of the barangay captains, who had earlier produced a manifesto not endorsing Rama in any of the top positions of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), disliked Pesquera and not Rama.
Pesquera and Rama are close friends since the latter’s marriage was annulled more than 10 years ago.
“As a matter of fact, some of the barangay captains will think Joy will end up as the Mayor. I don’t think any of the barangay captains like Joy not even her own barangay captain,” Osmeña said.
There were already allegations that one of the reasons the barangay captains disliked Rama is because Pesquera reportedly screened requests even before it gets to the table of Rama.
He admitted the present set up is affecting Rama’s reputation at BOPK.
“I told him to fix it, be careful it’s really for his own good,” he said.
Rama he said should double time since up to this time, the barangay captains were complaining.
The most recent he said was in a meeting last Saturday, wherein the barangay captains took turns in complaining to Margot when he left early for another appointment.
He said Rama in the two-hour meeting talked for an hour and 45 minutes which should not be the case.
“You learn how to listen, then I make comments and then I make a decision, I’m sure that more or less we are of the same footing,” Osmeña said.
He cited three incidents when there would not have been a problem had Rama decided to just become a mere rubberstamp, but all instances, unfortunately were recorded as failures.
First, Osmeña said was the failed land swap between the city and Cebu Province, which affects over 5,000 Cebu City residents.
It did not succeed because Rama accordingly made a speech, without his permission calling the deal ad “dawat-limpyo” which offended Cebu Provincial Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
Rama, however, said the land swap deal did not succeed because he and Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa found an irregularity in the memorandum of agreement.
The next was the purchase of two dump trucks which Rama criticized to have been old, but was actually never been used and are still functioning well after seven years.
The third was his granting of half a million pesos to barangay captains which Rama allegedly tried to stop.
On the other hand, Osmeña assured there will be no Osmeña running for mayor next year.
He will run for Congress in the south only if technically there will be problems encountered by his sister Minnie.
His wife Margot may slide down as a councilor.
Pesquera could not be reached for comment yesterday.
She served three straight terms as councilor under BOPK. - /NLQ (THE FREEMAN)