FOR Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, businessman Jonathan Guardo and Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos are just bluffing when they hinted they may run for mayor and vice mayor.

Osmeña said it was just a publicity stunt.

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The mayor believes that in the end, Guardo will still run for the south district congressional seat while de los Santos will run in the north district.

After both of them lost in nearly all the barangays in the city in the 2007 elections, the mayor again asked his opponents what they have to offer the city.

In his news conference yesterday, Osmeña enumerated the achievements of Vice Mayor Michael Rama and education consultant Joy Augustus Young, his candidates for mayor and vice mayor, respectively.

As “recycled losers,” Guardo and de los Santos can’t come close to Young, one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men awardees for public service in 1995, and Rama, national president of the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines.

“After so much analysis, they’re just bluffing. Eventually, they will run for Congress. It just doesn’t make sense, that they will run for mayor and vice mayor. Mary Ann lost in all south district barangays when she ran for vice mayor, and she only won in two in the north, now she wants to run again?” said Osmeña.

“I want to give them a little more credit for their intelligence but I’ve come to the conclusion that this is just a publicity stunt because they’re desperate to get in the newspapers,” he continued.

He reminded the people that the opposition can only offer them promises and “dangerous statements” that could result in the pullout of investors from the South Road Properties (SRP).

Guardo said the other day that he would create a new development plan for the 290-hectare facility if he is elected.

“We offer a new brand of politics, not politics of hate, division and arrogance. It will be good governance with a heart. As for the SRP, we hope to create a development authority to manage it. Not a one-man show,” Guardo said when sought for comment on the mayor’s statements yesterday.

In a press statement released yesterday, the ma-yor’s sister Georgia also pointed out numerous problems in the city, from potholes on the roads to sidewalk vendors, dark streets, busted traffic lights, clogged drainage, dirty sidewalks and rugby kids all over the city.

She also questioned the track record of her sister-in-law Margot Osmeña, who will run for city councilor in the south district.

“Track record? This is Margot’s track record—to increase the number of street children everywhere,” Georgia said.

She also asked if it would be fair to the mayor if Margot ran for city councilor at a time when she should be looking after her husband, “is it fair to Cebu that we should live with such uncertainty?”

In a phone interview last night, Margot declined from commenting on the matter, and said her track record will speak for itself.

She also said she doesn’t want to get into a personal fight with their political opponents.

“People can say what they want to say but you can ask the children what we’ve done. My track record will stand on its own…That’s why there’s a task force for the street children, because there are kids who need our help,” Margot said.