To run for Cebu City mayor or not is the question that hangs in the mind of Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, currently the acting mayor after the preventive suspension of Mayor Mike Rama for six months.
Acting Mayor Garcia, on Sept. 23 after the induction ceremony of the officers of Kusug Party, said he is open to running for mayor in next year’s midterm polls. So, what are the factors that would goad him to run?
Basic among everything is the support of Garcia’s family since running for mayor under our current political practices would entail gargantuan resources. An honest-to-goodness poll survey comes second as basis for him to decide to join the political fray. The third would be his mass base support as well as his party mates.
I think Vice Mayor Garcia is 90 percent decided to run for mayor after the induction of six city councilors, who took their oath as members of his Kusug Party before former mayor Alvin Garcia, the vice mayor’s father.
The recent poll survey “Boses ng Bayan: 2025 Mayoral Elections,” wherein Garcia ranks first among the candidates for mayor, is another valuable factor in his decision to run.
The city councilors who took their oath supporting VM Garcia are Renato “Junjun” Osmeña (elected vice president for the south district), Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr., Rey Gealon, James Anthony Cuenco (elected executive vice president), Edgardo “Jaypee” Labella II (elected vice president for the north district) and Joel Garganera (elected secretary general).
The most tempting part for Garcia in deciding to run is the result of the poll survey, “Boses ng Bayan: 2025 Mayoral Elections” that puts him on the top spot over Rama, Archival, Daluz and Yogi Ruiz.
So, where will Mayor Rama and his Partido Barug-Team Rama be? Well, Rama just had on Tuesday, Sept. 24, his own version of “Panagtigum” or gathering at the Casino Español de Cebu. When asked during a press conference if the Rama-Garcia tandem is over, it was the crowd that loudly said “yes.”
Instead of appearing worried, Rama even challenged Garcia to file his certificate of candidacy come Oct. 1, or before the last day of filing on Oct. 8.
Rama has denied abandoning his party mates. But Councilor Jun Alcover was indeed right in leaving Rama’s Partido Barug because Rama has a new set of candidates for councilor.
Rama’s probable bets for councilor are his son Mikel, Colin Rosell, Maria Pino, Ernest Herrera, Jessica Resch, JingJing Cabigon, Rey Lauron, Gremar Barete and Harry Eran.
The other Rama’s candidates for city councilor are Mark “Mae Anne” Agipo, Karla Henry Ammann, Ian Hassamal, Melvin Legaspi, Rex Milan, Novie Abella, Ramon Alcoseba and Clyde Limpag.
So, is next year’s mayoralty race in Cebu City a four-cornered fight among Rama, Nestor Archival, Joey Daluz and Garcia? And who’s the party to bet on?
***
Tuesday, Sept 24, was a horrible morning for me. The traffic jam from Talamban passing along Gov. Cuenco Ave. to the city was sickening. The traffic was at its worst at the intersection of Gov. Cuenco and M. L. Quezon Avenues that is without traffic lights and along the campus of USC.
In going to the courts in Qimonda Bldg., Cebu City, I take the long but faster route on M. L. Quezon Ave., Mandaue City. On that Tuesday morning, I had no choice but to take Gov. Cuenco Ave. in going to the city as I was to attend the 8:30 a.m. hearing at the Regional Arbitration Branch VII of the NLRC on Osmeña Blvd. I left home at 7:15 a.m. and at exactly 8:15 a.m. I was in front of Capitol.
I wonder, what is Cebu City Government’s immediate plan to alleviate the worsening traffic every day in almost all areas of the city? With only one road that links Talamban to the city, Talamban residents have to endure the daily traffic jam.