OWN DEADLINE. Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella has imposed his own deadline for deciding whether to run for mayor in the May 13, 2019 elections.
Although the period for filing COCs (certificates of candidacy) is still on Oct. 1 to 5, 2018, as announced by Comelec last March, Labella may have seen the need to resolve early the “uncertainty” within the Barug-PDP Laban party.
Labella is head of Cebu City’s PDP Laban and is expected to lead its election slate. Former mayor Michael Rama is head of Barug Team Rama and has said he would run for mayor.
Yesterday (June 18), each of the mayor-wannabes told “Frankahay Ta” on dyCM radio that he was “determined to run for mayor.” To be precise, as host Atty. Frank Malilong sorted it out, Labella would run for mayor if that is the decision of his party, apparently referring to Barug as PDP-Laban already announced its choice of Edgar. But Rama would run for mayor, with no proviso on party decision, as he assumes every Barug member would pick him. He could not see a situation that his own party would reject him. The chances on a scale of 1-to-10? Ten, he said.
Rock and a hard place, immovable versus immovable object? Not quite, since Labella at least would heed the Barug members’ decision.
Promise of pain
12 DAYS MORE. There are still 12 days from today before Labella’s deadline (self-imposed, Councilor Joey Daluz told dyCM’s Jason Monteclar yesterday).
But pray how would the will of Barug members be determined by him? A convention, a random survey? Or would Labella decide by himself, subject to ratification of Barug members?
Something like, “I have decided to run and here are the reasons. If you reject my decision, I would abide by it and give way to your choice.”
He could still keep his word to the public, through the radio talk show.
Mike, in contrast, gave no qualifier. It’s he, no one else, with Labella preferably as his running mate. It would “pain” him, he said, if Edgar would run opposite him and Mayor Tomas Osmeña. But that’s it, just the promise of being pained.