Rama to lead “opposition” in Visayas

CEBU, Philippines — After formally making a stand in support of former President Rodrigo Duterte, former Mayor Michael Rama declared that he will lead the opposition for the Visayas regions.

In a press conference yesterday, March 13, 2025, Rama reiterated his support for the former president, who was recently arrested and brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.

In his opening statement, Rama expressed that there was no better time to air his voice “but now.”

“I am declaring myself to lead as the opposition in the Visayas—Regions 6, 7, and 8—for I am the president of a party called Partido Barug, ‘Team Rama,’ which is registered and accredited with the Comelec as a political party,” Rama declared.

As the vice chairman of PDP-Laban in the Visayas, Rama guaranteed his support for his “endorser” as mayor of Cebu City—the former President Duterte.

Rama reiterated that it has been his long-standing commitment to stand with Duterte, even when the “hierarchy in the political echelon of PDP was in jeopardy.”

“Bahala na lag kaming duha ra ang mahabilin, walang iwanan. Matirang matibay. Padigo padunot,” Rama further cited.

He also declared that even if the former president is now far away, he will continue to “stand, defend, and fight,” stressing that there seems to be a “blatant absence” of the rule of law in Duterte’s arrest.

Rama further said that Duterte did not deserve such a fate, as he once served as the nation’s top official and should be regarded with decency.

Further, Rama sought clarity on why the former president was allowed to be “snatched.”

“Snatched, and it seems, with the conformity of this administration by a foreign entity,” Rama said, adding that he does not fear this pronouncement and backed it by stating that he was once in the same position as Duterte.

Rama said that he wasn’t in communication with other leaders in the regions and attributed the lack of communication to when he was “forced” to leave his position as Cebu City mayor.

He added that it is up to other leaders to join him in this stand, and in the absence of such support, he will be the opposition in Cebu.

Despite this pronouncement, Rama clarified that it does not mean he will take it to the streets.

However, he stated that he respects every individual’s right to do so. Rama then shared that there would be a candle-lighting event to express their stance.

“But I will bring them to their idea that it is in the deafening silence that it can constitute a noise,” said Rama.

When asked how his leadership of the opposition will be enacted, Rama refused to detail the next steps and simply told people to “watch out.”

He then urged those who “love the nation’s democracy” to stand with him on this matter. However, he refused to label such an act as a parliament in the streets.

According to Rama, it is not fitting for Cebuanos to be mere bench-sitters who refuse to be counted in the resistance. He then argued that it wasn’t him who started the uproar, but the opposition.

“This thing would not have happened, looking back. I was for UNITEAM,” said Rama.

The UniTeam electoral alliance was formed to support the candidacies of now-President Ferdinand

“Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and now-Vice President Sara Duterte in the 2022 elections.

Rama stressed that, as a supporter of the UniTeam, the people do not deserve the recent turn of events.

He added that the best thing the people can do is take a stand.

“Our former president was snatched or kidnapped with the assistance of this administration?” Rama asked.

He added that he does not wish for a repetition of the EDSA People Power Revolution but hopes that his message will be heard—that the people are not “in agreement” with what happened.

On the possibility that the situation could prompt a massive protest and trigger a declaration of martial law, Rama simply said not to let the administration take advantage of the situation.

In line with this, Rama urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take action while condemning what happened to the former president.

“It is a must. He (Marcos) must do something,” said Rama. —/ATO (FREEMAN)