HAVE Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and members of the Panaghiusa Party buried their differences recently?
It may seem the case after Rama and Panaghiusa Party chairman Floro Casas Jr. and Metropolitan Cebu Water District chairman Joey Daluz III were seen in a photo in Rama’s official Facebook page with the caption “Barug, Kusog, Panaghiusa! Mas lig-on ug mas nagkahiusa.”
They were joined by Kusug chairman and Cebu City Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia and Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Sec. Michael Lloyd Dino during a gathering in a hotel in Cebu City on Tuesday, February 1, 2022.
Rama said there was nothing to clarify about the photo he posted, adding they have long been united.
In a separate interview, Daluz, president of the Panaghiusa Party, clarified that despite the infighting between some of their members and Rama’s Barug party, it did not mean they parted ways.
He said they are only showing that the group of three political parties in Cebu City is stronger than before.
Casas, the former Cebu City administrator who is Panaghiusa’s current chairman, has not commented on the gathering yet.
Earlier, Casas expressed his dismay over the Rama administration’s decision not to renew the contracts of City Hall workers who were hired during the term of the late mayor Edgardo Labella.
“The current administration has probably forgotten that they are candidates in the May 2022 elections... These people whose contracts they have not renewed have families, friends and groups who will no longer vote for them in the May 2022 elections. And ... they are not the only candidates. They said they are already sure winners. So let’s show our strength in May 2022! Don’t vote for the mayor who is a traitor,” Casas had said.
Though his and Rama’s party are “united,” Daluz said his group will not support the presidential bet of the Partido Barug, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Daluz said Panaghiusa is supporting the presidential bid of Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and the vice presidential bid of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
In June last year, Rama said they will “only have one enemy,” referring to the group of former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña of the Bando Osmeńa Pundok Kauswagan.