TEAM Rama, led by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, held Tuesday night (May 10) a prayer rally at Plaza Sugbo to protest his defeat to Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña.
Osmeña was proclaimed as winner in the Cebu City mayoral race Tuesday dawn. He got 266,556 votes, while Rama had 232,641.
Rama in his message during the prayer rally said that votes for Cebu City mayor were switched, stressing there were machinations particularly in urban barangays in the city.
"Mangutana diay ko asa man na ang ilang daog? Nganong wala man sila magpakita? Diin man nang mga tawhana? Ngano ng nakadaog sya? Wa miy kalibutan inyo kadtong mga boto ang gikuha. Mibutar nako apan naregister niya," Rama told his supporters, who shouted in response, "Tinuod na!"
"Kita ang gikawatan sa atong katungod sa pagpili (We were robbed of our rights to vote for the right person)," Rama added.
He also told Sun.Star Cebu in an interview earlier that it cannot be justified that his vice mayor, Edgardo Labella, and majority of his councilors won and he lost.
He said he is not stopping Osmeña from occupying his post, but he wants the truth revealed.
"Tell the truth that you have robbed my votes," he told Osmeña.
Rama said he is planning on filing an election protest against Osmeña.
Association of Barangay Captains president Phillip Zafra said that Team Rama targets to gather 250,000 signatures of registered voters who were able to cast their votes last May 9 and use these in their protest.
Rama lost to Osmeña by 36,000 votes. (LMY/Sunnex)