THE Alliance of Urban Poor (UP-ALL) Cebu and the sectors of housing tenure, women, youth, farmers, and non-government organizations are asking former Cebu City administrator and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) undersecretary Bimbo Fernandez to run for city mayor during the May 2022 local elections, Hal Atienza, co-convenor of the Movement for Transformative Politics (MTP)-Gahum sa Katawhan, said in an interview with Cebu press, Tuesday morning, September 28, 2021.
"It's an old network of urban poor groups, associations in Cebu, so dihay pipila ka mga meetings with leaders nya narealize nila nga well, ang playing field karon sa politika for mayor, open," he said in a phone interview yesterday.
The group organized a press conference on Tuesday, September 28, to formalize their call for Fernandez to run for mayor.
Atienza said based on their initial talks with Fernandez, the latter is "open" to the possibility of actually running for mayor, while also considering the voice of the various sectors.
He said about 50 to 80 percent of the population of the urban poor groups in the city wants Fernandez to run for mayor.
He said they initially wanted former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, the leader of Bando-Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), but since Osmeña will not be running for the next year elections, he said Fernandez would be the perfect fit.
"Karon kung di man gani siya i-endorse, kabalo man ta nga kaila kaayo og suod si Tommy ug si Bimbo pero this is not an issue whether or not i-endorse si Bimbo ni Tommy," he said.
"Kay kung di siya tagaan og endorsement, mag independent siya. Pero kung mausab ang ihip ng hangin nga i-entertain ni Tommy nga siya ang iendorse nalang pod sa BOPK kay sa pipilia ka tuig niserbisyo pod si Bimbo kang Yommy, why not?" he added.
Fernandez formerly served as Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, DILG undersecretary, and city administrator during the yime of Osmeña.
BOPK has yet to formally announced its official slate for the May 2022 local elections, two days before the start of the filing of certificate of candidacy on October 1, 2021. (WBS)