Labella vows powerhouse team:City opposition bets file COCs

CEBU, Philippines — A powerhouse team that will make Cebu City number one.

This was how Vice Mayor and Barug-PDP Laban mayoralty bet Edgardo Labella described his slate as he and his group filed their certificates of candidacy  (COCs) yesterday.

Former mayor Michael Rama is running as Labella’s vice mayor.

“If given the opportunity, with the composition of this group, kon tagaan sa kahigayunan nga makaserbisyo, akong gisaad sa mga Sugbuanon that this is going to be a forgiving but not a forgetting administration…this administration is going to be inclusive in a sense that we are going to adopt people who would like to make our city number one again,” Labella told reporters.

He said the final line-up is a product of consultations.

Labella is against Mayor Tomas Osmeña while Rama is against Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos.

On Osmeña’s claim that his group, the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan, has the support of the city’s two biggest barangays, Guadalupe and Lahug, Labella said only the whole city will decide in the end.

“It is only the people who will finally decide that is why there is an election so that the people will be given the opportunity in the exercise of their right of suffrage as enshrined under the Constitution. That is his opinion. That is his prerogative. He is entitled to it. But I do not make that kind of statement,” Labella said.

“That’s precisely the reason why we are having an election because we have to abide by the will of the people and that is sacred and that will is not just the will of the people but a God-given gift to us, the right to suffrage,” he added.

Rama, for his part, said he will bring back the glory of the City Council, which was named best legislative body during his time as vice mayor.

“I can assure you that we will have a transformer, a generator, a powerhouse with Mayor Labella and me as vice mayor and all the rest in the Council that will bring back the glory of the best Cebu City and the best legislative body,” he added.

Barug-PDP Laban is fielding Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera and actor Richard Edison Yap for representatives in the city’s North and South Districts, respectively.

Pesquera is against Rodrigo Abellanosa and while Yap is against Raul del Mar.

If she makes it to Congress, Pesquera she said she will increase the number of district representatives for Cebu City and pave the way for the construction of a district hospital, among other projects.

Yap, meanwhile, said he will focus on crafting laws on health care, livelihood, environment, and transportation, among others.

Reacting to the statement of Mayor Tomas Osmeña that “celebrities don’t click” in Cebu City, Yap said, “I may be more qualified than most or some of the government officials who are in service or who want to be in service.”

Yap said on top of being a celebrity, he is also a businessman and his experience is dealing with people is something he can use in public office.

For councilors in the North District, Barug-PDP Laban is fielding Joel Garganera, Pastor Alcover Jr., Raymond Alvin Garcia, Prisca Niña Mabatid, Rey Lauron, Ernest Herrera, Noel Wenceslao, and Ramil Ayuman.

For the South District, it is fielding Miguel Erik Espina, Renato Osmeña Jr., Eduardo Rama Jr., Dondon Hontiveros, Phillip Zafra, Francis Esparis, Antonio Cuenco, and Gerard Carillo.

Among the members of the group, only Mike Rama, Espina, and Alcover are not affiliated with PDP-Laban, as they are under United Nationalist Alliance.

Also yesterday, at least four independent candidates filed their COC for councilor in Cbeu City - Eliseo Tumulak, Florencio Villarin, Ian Anthony Osmeña, and Ricardo Dungog.

One Reynaldo Abad also filed his COC for councilor under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP). — JMO (FREEMAN)