Tomas wants City Hall back

Saturday, January 28, 2012

AFTER much speculation, Rep. Tomas Osmeña formally announced Friday that he is running for Cebu City mayor.

The rest of the slate is still hazy as of now, but Osmeña said he just wanted to make an early declaration that he will be the standard-bearer for the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) in the 2013 elections, while Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young will run for reelection.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

“I am announcing my candidacy for mayor... I’m trying to discourage people from running under Mike Rama. He will abandon you and you will not win. I am giving a warning that I will give all of his candidates a hard time,” said Osmeña, who called a luncheon press conference at his house Friday.

Rama told Sun.Star Cebu in a text message that he will reserve his comments when he returns to Cebu. He is on a “much needed” vacation abroad.

Reliable delivery

Osmeña admitted that he may not be as popular as his wife, Councilor Margarita Osmeña, whom he said garnered more votes than him in the 2010 elections, but he can assure people who will run under him that he can deliver the votes.

Proof of that is the complete BOPK slate in the council and Congress for at least two terms.

Osmeña said it is still unclear what his wife will do in 2013. He said she might run for reelection or replace him as House representative of the south district.

The former mayor said his replacement has not been discussed, considering that Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa is interested in the position. Councilor Jose Daluz III is also a prospect. Both are on their last term in the council.

What is clear for Osmeña is that he wants Rama to have a hard time forming a lineup. For one, Rama will have a hard time getting a vice mayor.

While the names of Councilors Edgardo Labella and Lea Japson have been floated, Osmeña said the north district councilors are not exposed in the south.

Besides, Rama’s camp should not be presumptuous to think that both councilors are on their side, he said.

Both councilors have since denied being interested in the position. Labella, who is also on his last term, said he would rather go back to private practice, while Japson said she still has another term.

The BOPK founder said he will support Councilor Augustus Pe Jr.’s plan to run in the south district for the same position, as the latter is on his last term as a north district councilor.

“He is a very good addition to the group because he has ways of getting into the bottom,” said Osmeña.

With Pe and Labella’s departure in the north district slate, Osmeña said he prefers young minds to become replacements and those with social experience.

Good examples

He lauded the achievements of Councilors Alvin Dizon and Nida Cabrera, both first-time councilors. He used them as examples of what he’s looking for to replace departing councilors from the north.

With only two seats to fill, Osmeña said they may not be able to accommodate Councilor Michael Ralota, T. Padilla barangay captain and president of the Association of Barangay Council.

They will consider him, though, Osmeña said.

Ralota has said he is interested in running for councilor as his term also ends in 2013.

Osmeña said he is not inclined to invite former councilors Arsenio Pacaña, Edwin Jagmoc and Sylvan Jakosalem, chairperson of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom), to his slate.

Osmeña said he told Pacaña he would prefer to give another candidate a chance and even offered a spot for Pacaña’s son but the latter was not interested.

Clarification

Jakosalem, for his part, clarified that he did not approach Osmeña for a spot in the lineup, as he has not even decided if he will run for councilor.

“I never talked to him regarding that. People just asked me if I wanted to be a councilor again and I just keep repeating that I want to concentrate on my chairmanship of Citom then think about those things later,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.

Osmeña said it also does not help that Jakosalem doesn’t have his own bailiwick and Jagmoc did not work well as a councilor and was even involved in a scandal.

“I want younger people. They don’t have to know much, I will train them,” Osmeña said.

He is not concerned with what the Liberal Party will think now that he has challenged Rama for the 2013 mayoralty because BOPK, an organization rather than a political party, is not and will never be beholden to any party, he said.