SURPRISED and worried.
This was the reaction of former Cebu City administrator Floro Casas Jr., when he learned that it would still be a Rama-Garcia tandem in the 2025 midterm elections.
Casas, who serves as one of Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia’s consultants, said the announcement shocked him, especially since Mayor Michael Rama and Garcia don’t seem to like or trust each other.
Rama announced during City Hall’s Family Day celebration on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, that Garcia would remain his vice mayor for 2025.
The day before, Garcia expressed the same sentiment in front of a gathering of barangay captains, saying that he would not part political ways with Rama.
Casas, in an interview on Sunday, Feb. 18, said he is worried about Garcia running alongside Rama.
“As a friend of VM Raymond, I’m worried for him because I’m not sure his tandem is trustworthy,” said Casas in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Casas was the appointed city administrator during the term of the late mayor Edgardo Labella from 2019 until the latter’s death in November 2021.
Casas resigned after Labella died.
In previous reports of SunStar Cebu, Casas used the word “traitors,” “betrayal,” “tragedy” and “oppression,” while breaking into tears during the eulogy before Labella’s burial on Nov. 26, 2021.
It was previously reported that several contracts of employees hired by Labella were not renewed when Rama assumed office.
Former councilor and Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) board of directors chairman Jose Daluz III, in a separate interview on Sunday, said he respected Garcia’s decision, adding that the vice mayor may have his reasons for sticking with Rama.
Rama’s Partido Barug, Garcia’s Kugi Uswag Sugbo (Kusug) and Daluz’s Panaghiusa joined forces in the May 2022 elections.
Rama has fired Daluz several times from the MCWD board of directors since May 2023.
Daluz, during the interview, said he is “seriously considering” to enter politics again, but has not yet “decided fully.”
“I have not decided fully to enter mayorship or politics, (but) I’m considering seriously because it’s not easy to run, especially if we are a challenger,” he said.
As to reports that he is running for mayor with former councilor and now Basak Pardo Barangay Captain David “Dave” Tumulak as his running mate, Daluz did not confirm this. However, he said he is in constant communication with Tumulak.
Tumulak left Barug to run as an independent against Rama in 2022, and garnered over 140,000 votes.
Daluz said he likes Tumulak, taking into consideration the latter’s performance as a city councilor.
“Dave Tumulak is a worker. I’ve seen him work during his time as councilor. He really worked tirelessly,” said Daluz.
SunStar Cebu tried to reach Tumulak, but he had yet to respond as of press time.
Former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña, meanwhile, has yet to clearly share his plans.
“I’m like Manny Pacquiao. I can’t do 12 rounds. Four to six rounds maybe,” said Osmeña in a text message in response to SunStar Cebu’s question on whether he plans to run next year.
When asked to comment about Rama’s plans for the 2025 elections, the former mayor just said, “Rama is stupid.”
“Fortunately for him, people are used to his stupidity,” he added.
Osmeña and Rama used to be political allies until 2010, when Rama left the Osmeña-led Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan.
Rama beat Osmeña when they both ran for mayor in 2013. It was Osmena’s first loss since he ran for the mayoral seat in 1988.
Osmeña, in a press conference in October 2023, said he would support whoever was running against Rama. Even if it turned out to be his dog, he said.
Kasambagan Barangay Captain and Association of Barangay Councils president Franklyn Ong, meanwhile, said he doesn’t plan to run for vice mayor again next year.
Ong ran for vice mayor in the 2022 elections alongside former Cebu City councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, but both lost to Garcia and Rama.
SunStar Cebu also tried to reach former city administrator Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez for his plans, but to no avail.
Fernandez also ran for vice mayor in 2022.