AFTER facing opposition to his position as chairman of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) board of directors, Jose Daluz III announced he would be stepping down.
Daluz, whose tarpaulins bearing his face are posted on almost every street of Cebu City, said in a phone interview on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, that although he is not yet entirely certain about running in the coming midterm elections on May 12, 2025, he has been preparing and making consultations.
However, when asked what position he would be running, the former Cebu City councilor refrained from answering and said that a lot may happen between now and the filing of the certificate of candidacy (COC).
“I’m ready to run, but I have not really decided 100 percent. Mahibaw-an na karong (It will be revealed this) Oct. 1,” Daluz said.
He said the Partido Panaghiusa, which he revived in March 2021 after it was founded by his mother then radio personality and politician Nenita Cortes-Daluz, will field a complete slate.
Nonetheless, a few minutes after the interview, SunStar Cebu found out that Daluz already posted a few hours earlier on his Facebook page’s stories that he would be running for mayor with Dave Tumulak, the barangay captain of Basak, Pardo, as his running mate.
The Commission on Elections scheduled the filing of the COC starting on Oct. 1 to Oct. 8.
List of appointees
Daluz said that he is yet to submit the list of appointees to Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia for the two vacant positions on the MCWD board of directors that need to be filled in October.
He had declared the board seats of Danilo Ortiz and Earl Bonachita vacant after he issued a show-cause order against the two last Dec. 21 after they failed to attend meetings and conducted unauthorized board meetings with other individuals appointed by Mayor Michael Rama, who is currently serving a six-month prevention suspension.
Ortiz used to represent the civil sector, while Bonachita represented the education sector.
However, Daluz explained that the position that will urgently need to be filled is that of the MCWD chairman, which will be vacant once he steps down.
He added that, as a necessary immediate action, he will submit a recommendation on who will replace him to represent the professional sector to the Office of the Mayor on Friday, Sept. 13.
Daluz said the board of directors cannot function if it has only two members.
Aside from him, the current MCWD board is composed of Miguelito Pato and Jodelyn May Seno.
Daluz fought tooth and nail to keep his post at the MCWD after Rama fired him in May 2023 over “unsatisfactory” preparation for the El Niño weather phenomenon.
He defied the mayor’s order, saying Rama had no power to remove him as chair even though the late mayor Edgardo Labella did the same so Daluz would become board head.
Daluz had said he would only go if the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) said so. In March this year, LWUA said it was taking over the entire board. At first, Daluz said he would comply with the order, only to have a change of heart. / JPS