Rama: BOPK already has list of candidates

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama yesterday said that the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan already has a list of candidates for the City Council in next year’s elections.

Rama stressed though that the list is for replacement of councilors who are now in their last term.

Those who are in their third and last term are Councilors Sylvan “Jack” Jacosalem, Nestor Archival and Christopher Alix for the north district and Councilors Gerardo Carillo and Arsenio Pacaña for the south district.

Rama, however, refused to divulge the names on the list but said that some former city councilors are included.

Rama and the councilors came up with the list during their meeting last Wednesday to discuss their initial plans for the coming elections.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña earlier expressed concerns over the situation in south district because Rama is allegedly not moving hard enough as what the opposition does.

Osmeña, on the other hand, agreed with the vice mayor that it’s too early for them to disclose their candidates since the opposition does not have any lineup yet.

But the mayor had advised Rama to take care of his lineup.

Nonetheless, the vice mayor said that he would sit down with his runningmate, education consultant Joy Augustus Young, sometime next week to take up Osmeña’s concerns.

Meanwhile, Rama said they would continue to perform their duties and at the same time visit all barangays in the city.

“Trabaho lang ta kay there will always be time for everything unya kung naa man gani visitation that will be part sa atong trabaho,” Rama said.

Rama has been hounded by the move of some barangay captains allied with BOPK who pushed for Osmeña’s wife, Margot, to run for mayor.

More than half of the city’s 80 barangay captains reportedly signed a manifesto endorsing North District Representative Raul del Mar for mayor but the congressman turned it down.

Last week, some barangay captains in the north district endorsed Margot for the mayoralty post but to no avail.

The mayor said that he is against the idea of Margot running for mayor, adding that the city will not prosper if “we have a culture of being attached to one family.”

Rama is thankful for the gesture of the mayor, asking barangay officials to give him a chance. — /LPM (THE FREEMAN)