UNA endorses Junjun to replace Abella

CEBU, Philippines — Another Osmeña may be set to occupy a seat at the Cebu City Council and will do so under the banner of Barug Team Rama.

Renato “Junjun” Osmeña Jr., who ranked ninth councilor in the May 2016 elections, has been chosen to replace resigned councilor Nendell Hanz Abella, according to a September 18 certification signed by United Nationalist Alliance Chairman Jejomar Binay.

Junjun has accepted the nomination.

Binay’s nomination, according to Rama-affiliated Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia, finally answered questions as to who would take the seat vacated by the resignation of Abella, who has taken the position of a commissioner representing the workers' sector in the National Labor Relations Commission Seventh Division under Department of Labor and Employment.

Binay’s nomination came days after reports surfaced that the administration’s Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan was wooing Senator Manny Pacquiao’s endorsement of another candidate, a certain Rengelle Pelayo, who served as the city’s Sangguniang Kabataan Federation (SKF) president from 2008 to 2011 and was known to be a BOPK ally.

“There’s no other nominee. Cannot be. The party already signed for him (Junjun),” Garcia told reporters at a press conference yesterday afternoon.

Undermined

In defending Junjun’s nomination, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella cited Section 45 of the Local Government Code, which states that “the political party under which the council member concerned had been elected and whose elevation to the position next higher in rank created the last vacancy shall be appointed.”

The same section states that “the appointee shall come from the same political party as that of the sanggunian member who caused the vacancy and shall serve the unexpired term of the vacant office.”

With this, Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera warned individuals who “undermined” the process in appointing the replacement, saying they will be held criminally and administratively.

“So, kanang gibuhat sa kaatbang nga trying to maneuver, then kon naa tay documents nga gipang-submit, they will be liable,” she said.

Last Saturday, Pesquera said a staff worker from UNA had informed her that Pacquiao requested Binay to endorse Pelayo to be Abella’s replacement.

Pesquera informed her partymates at Barug Team Rama after learning about the information. On that day, she said former mayor Michael Rama was with Binay.

Pesquera said Rama gave his phone to Binay, which allowed her to talk to the UNA chairman.

“He (Rama) allowed me to talk with VP Binay and VP Binay assured me nga only the endorsement from Cebu-UNA ang  iyang dawaton kay maoy proseso and dili dawaton ang gikan sa laing mga tao ang mohatag og endorsement,” Pesquera said.

Councilor James Anthony Cuenco said Senator Nancy Binay also called Rama yesterday.

“So, we all heard what Senator Nancy Binay said. On the Senate floor, Mayor Tommy Osmeña himself went there and talked to her and asked her to go see her father, the VP Jejomar Binay. You can see the hand of the main man in City Hall doing this… It’s indescribable,” he said.

Sought for comment, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he will no longer react to the development.

The mayor said Barug Team Rama members are claiming they are still part of UNA even if majority of them have shifted allegiance to President Duterte’s PDP-Laban.

Labella, meanwhile, said incumbent Barug Team Rama officials unanimously selected Junjun since it was “logical, legal, and appropriate” for him to take the vacancy.

“Another thing is that Jun’s coming is giving me a deep sense of nostalgia. His father, the late vice mayor Renato Osmeña Sr. was my mentor.  When I first joined council in 1998, his father was our presiding officer.  And now I’m the vice mayor and he is now a first man councilor in the city council,” Labella said.

He said he is confident Junjun will continue the legacy of his father, who was a “no nonsense public servant” very much involved in maintaining the city’s peace and order.

Accepted

Junjun, for his part, said he was happy and elated to be given the opportunity to serve.

“I humbly and meekly accept this certificate of nomination (on) behalf of my father, former vice mayor Renato Osmeña Sr. In memory of my father. I am so happy and proud to work for this team,” he said as he signed the certificate of nomination and acceptance yesterday. (FREEMAN)