SUSPENDED Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, seeking reelection for a fresh term, reaffirmed his vision of a “Singapore-like city with Melbourne features” as he and his slate filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 elections on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.
This was hours before the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman came out to dismiss Rama from public service after he was found guilty of nepotism and grave misconduct for appointing his two brothers-in-law to work in the Cebu City Hall.
In an interview after filing his COC, Rama told reporters that his main platform includes continuing the development of Cebu City with features inspired by Singapore and Melbourne, Australia.
Bets from the Partido Barug Team Rama were the first among the local political parties in Cebu City to file their COCs at the local Commission on Elections (Comelec) office.
Rama was first elected mayor in 2010. He won a second term in 2013, serving until 2016. He lost to Tomas Osmeña in the 2016 mayoral race.
Rama has served as mayor since 2021, after he assumed office following the death of mayor Edgardo Labella. In the 2022 elections, Rama clinched his third non-consecutive term as mayor.
Before filing their COCs, Rama’s team attended a mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral at 8 a.m.
Rama’s running mate will be Acting Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros.For district representatives under his slate, incumbent Congressman Eduardo “Edu” Rama Jr. of the South District is seeking reelection, while Association of Barangay Councils President and Kasambagan Barangay Captain Franklyn Ong will run for North District representative. Incumbent councilors seeking fresh terms are Francis Esparis, Noel Wenceslao, Jocelyn Pesquera, and Phillip Zafra.
Other aspirants for city councilors are Rama’s son Mikel, Maria Pino, Ernest Herrera, Rey Lauron, Gremar Barete, Harry Eran, Andrew Biton, Jessica Resch, Kevin Sanchez, Novie Abella, and Ramon Alcoseba.
Rama summarized his platforms for his potential fourth term under the acronym “BARUG CEBU CITY.” Each letter represents key areas of focus: Better business environment; Adequate water supply; Resettlement and housing; Urban development; Good governance and comprehensive disaster response.
Additional priorities include Comprehensive educational support; Environmental management and sustainability; Barangay welfare and community development; Universal health care; Cultural, historical, art, tourism, and spiritual improvement; Infrastructure development; an improved Transport system; and support for the Youth and children.
Meanwhile, Hontiveros said that as a vice mayoral aspirant, he will be a team player in the council, including mediating between councilors and the executive department to achieve the common goal of serving their constituents.
Herrera, Cebu City councilor aspirant for the North District, said one of his platforms is to intensify the fight against illegal drugs in the city. Another aspirant for Cebu City councilor in the North District, Pino, said that if elected, she will develop policies for small, medium, and micro enterprises, as well as for vendors like herself.
Sanchez, another aspirant seeking a seat on the Cebu City Council for the North District, said one of his platforms focuses on improving the disaster response of the Cebu City Government.
Rama, who is currently under a six-month preventive suspension since May 2024, forged an alliance with Ong’s BagOng Sugbo to support each other’s parties in their May 2025 election campaign.
In the 2022 election, Rama garnered almost 41 percent of the voting population, receiving a total of 239,656 votes against his close contender from the Bando Osmeña Purok Kauswagan, former City Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, who received only 202,446 votes.
The Rama-Hontiveros tandem of Partido Barug Team Rama and the BagOng Sugbo alliance is expected to face off against the team of City Councilor Nestor Archival, former Mayor Tomas Osmeña, former Bureau of Customs commissioner Yogi Ruiz, and the potential tandem of Acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and former Metropolitan Cebu Water District Chairman Jose Daluz III under the Kusug-Panaghiusa merger.