MAYOR Oscar Moreno, for several times, said he is definitely seeking reelection as it has become clear that the political alliance that propelled him to victory in 2013 will hold until the next polls.
“I am definitely seeking re-election in 2016,” Moreno told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro Wednesday.
Moreno said the alliance between him, Representative Rufus Rodriguez of the second district, and Representative Rolando Uy of the first district in Cagayan de Oro has remained strong and will be a major factor to defeat any serious challenges from former Mayor Vicente Emano and his party, Padayon Pilipino.
Moreno’s declaration came as the political climate stirs up for the 2016 polls with local officials jockeying up for support for national candidates vying for the presidential post.
Rodriguez has repeatedly declared he is not running for any local elective positions preferring to run as senator.
One option was for Rodriguez to get a government post or Cabinet position in the next administration.
This left Jocelyn “Bebot” Rodriguez, Barangay Nazareth chairperson and younger sister of Rodriguez, an attractive choice for the vice mayoralty position and become Moreno’s running mate in the 2016 polls.
“Bebot is a good executive, but it is still too early to announce our lineup,” Moreno said.
Moreno is coy on who will be his candidates for the 16-man City Council where the majority is held by councilors loyal to the defeated Emano and has remained a major stumbling block to his administration.
Campaign hard
“I will campaign very hard to gain a majority in the City Council in 2016,” he said.
Sources in the Moreno’s political camp told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro that the final lineup for the councilors will be decided by the end of August.
They said among the top contenders for city councilors are former Barangay Macasandig chair Aaron Neri and Barangay Lapasan chair Omar Labuntog.
At present, Moreno has only four councilors in the 16-seat City Council; these are Roger Abaday, Zaldy Ocon, Eric Salcedo, and Candy Darimbang.
The Liberal party will have a chance to wrest control of the City Council because opposition councilors President Elipe, Alexander Dacer, Dante Pajo and Ramon Tabor can no longer run for reelection being on their third terms.
Teddy Sabugaa, head of the City Social Welfare and Development, said the campaign in 2016 will center on the difference between Moreno’s three-year administration and the 15-year-administration of Emano.
“2016 will show the huge difference. We will show how Moreno was able to build 283 classrooms and roads to the hinterland villages and improved our health services,” Sabugaa said.
Sabugaa said Moreno won the 2013 elections because their campaign brought across its message of “Hapsay’ng pang Gobyerno” clearly to the voters.
“We did not have the money, the machinery but our message was clear and it was accepted by the voters as theirs,” Sabugaa said.