Team Rama still to decide who will replace Cuenco for city’s south district

TEAM Rama will have to discuss again who its candidate will be for congressman in Cebu City’s south district following former congressman Antonio Cuenco’s decision not run for the position.

Mayor Michael Rama said he does not have any problem with the possible candidacy of City Councilor Jose Daluz III for the congressional seat, but the group still has to discuss the matter before finalizing their line-up.

“I respect his (Cuenco’s) pronouncement… I had a talk with my core group and there are some developments to come in due time. Hopefully we can finalize our plans soon,” he told a news conference yesterday, his first after arriving from his five-day official trip to Xiamen, China.

Cuenco, through his son James, announced last Friday that he is withdrawing from the race because of health problems. He also endorsed Daluz to take his place.

But Rama said yesterday they have more than enough time to name Cuenco’s replacement.

“It can wait. It doesn’t have to be decided on today… As far as I am concerned, we have to consult the whole of Team Rama,” he said.

The mayor was mum on the possibility of recruiting lawyer Aristotle Batuhan, who has also expressed interest in the south district congressional seat.

He said he does not want to assume that Batuhan will also be interested in joining their group.

In a phone interview yesterday, Batuhan said he is not thinking about any political alliance yet because he wants to focus on his consultations with the barangays.

“At this time, my preoccupation is to finish the consultative process that we have started… The Abante Barangay Movement was launched in order to come up with a coherent legislative agenda, which I can present to the district soon. The political alliance will come in due time,” he said.

He said he has not expressed any interest in joining Team Rama, and he has not talked to the mayor yet regarding any alliance.