Friday, March 07, 2008 Tomas to campaign for Mike's bid for vice mayors' national league
CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña will campaign for Vice Mayor Michael Rama in his bid to become president of the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines (VLMP).
Osmeña said he supports Rama’s candidacy and will try to help him in his third attempt to gain the VLMP top post next month.
“It is getting more interesting,” Mandaue City Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna said when asked to comment on the development. Rama and Fortuna are both running for the VLMP presidency.
“I will ask vice mayors...to vote for Mike. Of course, I cannot ask Fortuna to vote for him. Still many of the mayors, without even my asking them to support Mike, are affiliated with me. As far as I know, from the feedback I got, Lakas is supporting him,” Osmeña said.
“I have no idea yet whether Lakas issues official statements to support a candidate. Basically, the way it is right now, words spread very fast. Asa man ta? Ari mi,” said Osmeña.
Osmeña said he sees his support for Rama as something that could become “a fight between the governor and myself.” Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia supports Fortuna’s candidacy.
Osmeña said he plans to seek the help of Mayor Ramon Abalos of Lambayon, Sultan Kuldarat Province. Abalos is president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines.
“Like Mayor Abalos, some of my friends are pushing for Rama,” he said.
Both Rama and Fortuna flew to Bohol last Wednesday to talk to officials there.
Fortuna, when interviewed yesterday on Osmeña’s support of Rama, said cities are equally important to provinces and towns.
“But if you talk about numbers, the province has more,” said Fortuna. He pointed out that municipalities depend largely on the province and he has the support of many provincial officials.
Fortuna was furnished a copy yesterday of Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan’s letter to the Vice Mayors’ League Benguet Chapter president, informing him that he is endorsing Fortuna’s candidacy.
Benguet has 13 towns and one city, its capital, Baguio City.
Fortuna received a similar letter last Tuesday from Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr. In that letter, which Espino sent to all local officials in his area, he informed them of Fortuna’s candidacy and credentials. Pangasinan has 44 towns and four cities.
Fortuna said the League of Cities, where Osmeña has friends, has around 200 members. But they are fewer than the mayors of towns under their respective governors. (NRC/OCP)
