Team Rama regains slim council majority

CEBU, Philippines — The opposition Barug Team Rama has regained a slim majority in the Cebu City Council after a new member of the group took his oath of office yesterday.

Councilor Erik Miguel Espina formally assumed office yesterday as replacement of dismissed councilor James Cuenco.

“With the addition of our new councilor, Erik Miguel Espina, as head of Barug Team Rama, I can declare without any fear of any conviction that we will have a powerhouse Barug Team Rama in the Council of the City of Cebu,” said former mayor Michael Rama.  The opposition also showed to its opponents that it is still intact despite the possibility of Rama and Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella running against each other in the next elections. Both Rama and Labella have already declared their intention to run for mayor next year.

The two opposition leaders said that despite their public pronouncements, nothing have changed in their relationship. Rama and Labella are confident that only one of them will run against re-electionist Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Espina took his oath of office as new member of the City Council before Court of Appeals Executive Justice Gabriel Ingles.

Espina was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as replacement of Cuenco, who was dismissed from service for serious dishonesty and grave misconduct over his involvement in the misuse of P3.3 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocation of his father, former Cebu City south district congressman Antonio Cuenco.

Espina, however, said he is willing to vacate the seat in the City Council should Cuenco’s appeal will be granted by the Court of Appeals.

Rama said “powerhouse” opposition in the City Council means that the opposition members are very diverse since there are lawyers, certified public accountant, manager, journalist, veteran public servants, among others.

The council is now composed of nine opposition and nine administration-allied councilors. The opposition, however, has an advantage because it has Labella on its side.   Espina said he will be submitting himself to a drug test before the Cebu City Police Office. Also, he said he will focus his programs on health and education.

He said he will work with Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia to establish one college school in the north district and another one in the south. Espina said the city government should also construct one more city hospital to add to the existing Cebu City Medical Center.

Labella, for his part, said there’s still a permanent opposition group in the city.

“Now, we are still intact. It’s going to be 9-9, that’s the consequence. As I’ve said, even if we belong to the minority, we will not block projects that would bring good to the city. We’re always objective and never obstructionist,” he said.

Labella said the opposition members are still pushing for Phillip Zafra to be reelected as president of the Association Barangay Councils in the city. There will be elections for the ABC- Cebu City Chapter come July 30.

“Hopefully, it’s going to be a positive result. As of now, we are still supporting Phillip Zafra,” Labella said.

The Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan, however, has majority of the barangay captains. The mayor has endorsed Kasambagan Captain Franklyn Ong as ABC president. (FREEMAN)