Ex-Senator now a city voter: Sonny's teaser: Tomas is his vice mayor

CEBU, Philippines - Former Senator John Henry ‘Sonny’ Osmeña believes that he can count on his estranged cousin Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to eventually support his candidacy as mayor of the city.

 In a press conference yesterday, Sonny said that he is already 100 percent sure that he will seek the mayoralty and has officially transferred his voter registration to Cebu City yesterday.

He said that he will tap Tommy to be his vice mayoralty bet and once they win, he would resign after two days and hand the chief executive post back to his cousin.

“I am sure Tommy will support me and eventually drop Mike Rama. Mas maayo anang Mike himo-ong DOT secretary kay ganahan man na siya magsayaw-sayaw inig Sinulog,” the former senator said.

Mayor Osmeña however doused cold water on the hopes of his cousin when he said that he is going to be P10,000 against the P100,000 of the former senator, who he believes will not push through with his plans to run for mayor.

Mayor Osmeña said in a text message sent to The FREEMAN, “If I support him, he might really run and I would lose my bet. Aguy!”

The mayor even joked that Sonny has a 100 percent chance of winning as mayor if he has no opponent.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama also laughed off Sonny’s announcement that he also has the support of the mayor’s wife and the rest of the BOPK leadership.

“Wa ko nakakita ug kausaban. Mayor Tom, Margot and BOPK are still committed to my candidacy,” Rama said.

 The former senator added that eventually the four candidates for Cebu City mayor — himself, Georgia Osmeña, Rama and even Winston Garcia, chief of the

Government Service Insurance System will unite and be the candidate if the Liberal Party.

“Everybody will submit into the process and I am sure, I will be chosen by the party as the LP candidate for mayor of Cebu City,” Sonny said.

Georgia, to date, has no political party while Garcia has not made any pronouncement that he is running for mayor in the city.

 Garcia’s father, 2nd District Rep. Pablo Garcia said that there is no talk within the family that his son is running for any position, but admits the latter will transfer his voter’s registration in Cebu City.

 “Yes he will transfer, but not because he wants to run as mayor but because it’s been a longtime that he has not voted. Besides it’s a presidential election, it’s important for him to vote,” the congressman said.

Sonny said that he wants to run for mayor because he hates Winston.

“Much as I hate him, I don’t think he is crazy. I can’t tell if he is running but let him know I am running with Tomas as VM,” Sonny said.

The former senator said that he has asked the mayor to brief him about the South Road properties (SRP), which he believes will be the common denominator that could make them reconcile.

Sonny, however, added that they might have different views about how the SRP should be developed, but hopes to get the nod of his cousin.

Hands Off

Former City Councilor Hilario “Junjun” Davide III, who is the LP provincial chairman, said that he is hands-off Cebu City politics now.

 Davide, a BOPK member resigned as city councilor for him to concentrate in running the campaign in Cebu Province of Senators Benigno Aquino III and Manuel Roxas II for president and vice of the LP.

The BOPK has also thrown its support to the Aquino-Roxas tandem.

“Naglabad ba ning ulo ko sa probinsiya pa lang. Di na lang ko manghilabot sa pulitika sa siyudad,” Davide said.

Butch Abad, LP vice president for politics and platforms, who attended the same press conference, said that they will be having a convention in the next few days to choose their official bets for the different local positions.

 Abad, together with LP director general Chito Gascon, meet with Panaghiusa officials yesterday to discuss what needs to be done for the Noy-Mar candidacy as well as on how to further strengthen their network on the ground.

Panaghiusa was the first group in Cebu to have announced their support for the Noy-Mar tandem.

 “We are thankful of Panaghiusa’s support for the Noy-Mar tandem. It’s very interesting that we are drawing support from Panaghiusa, BOPK, Promdi and even from

Lakas,” Abad said.

Davide added that it’s a great sacrifice on his part to resign as city councilor for a bigger cause.

 Bogo Mayor Celestino Martinez, Jr., on the other hand, announced that he will support Davide should the provincial chairman of the LP decide to run for governor.

Other present in yesterday’s caucus of the LP were Provincial Board member Victoria Corominas, former 3rd District Congressman Antonio Yapha, and Edmund Sanchez, the consultant on special projects of Mandaue City.

Still For Approval

Comelec Cebu City North District registrar Marchel Sarno said that applications are completed but are still subject to approval on November 16 during the Election Registration Board hearing.

Both will be assessed if they qualify for the transfer of residency.

For the purpose of running, either must be proven a legal resident of Cebu city for one year while for the purpose of voting, either must be proven a legal resident for six months only.

One’s “legal residence” is the place he considers as his true, fixed and permanent home and to where, whenever he is absent, he intends to return, said Comelec-7 assistant regional director Veronico G. Petalcorin.

Their application may be approved if they can prove they are legal residents of the city, however, anybody can still question their residency considering that they are actual residents of different towns. Any complaint will be decided by the court.

But Petalcorin said, legal residency is very hard to disprove since one may easily allege that he intends to reside in the city. – with Elly Bolonos/NLQ   (FREEMAN NEWS)