FORMER Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña has expressed willingness to run for vice mayor to support Councilor Nestor Archival if he should run for mayor in 2025.
The pronouncement was made in a press conference held at the Casino Español on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024.
Osmeña said he could no longer serve as mayor “realistically.”
However, Osmeña said he could be of help as vice mayor, particularly in project management.
“If I were to choose, I would choose Archival to be the mayor. He can be a good mayor... I will be his vice mayor,” Osmeña said.
He said Archival would not be a good candidate, but he could be a good mayor.
He noted that the approach should be what is good for Cebu City by looking at the obstacles that prevent the city from moving further.
Given the fact that Archival could be a good mayor, Osmeña said he would make him a good candidate.
Osmeña was mayor of Cebu City from 1989 to 1995, 2001 to 2010, and from 2016 to 2019.
In the 2016 elections that Osmeña won, Archival was his running mate. Osmeña defeated Michael Rama in that race for mayor, while Edgardo Labella defeated Archival in the race for vice mayor.
Deserve more
Asked for his views on other possible candidates for mayor, former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Central Visayas director Yogi Filemon Ruiz, Metropolitan Cebu Water District chairman and former Cebu City councilor Jose Daluz III, and incumbent mayor Michael Rama, Osmeña described them as “kulang (lacking).”
Osmeña said Cebu City residents should not settle for less, reiterating Archival is the best choice.
“We deserve more than that. We have Archival,” Osmeña said.
Osmeña remarked that Archival would not be a simple opponent, saying that Archival has always been a first councilor in the north district, meaning earning the highest number of votes.
No problem
In a phone interview on Thursday, Archival said he had no problem running for mayor; however, the concern he had raised to Osmeña was on the finances for the campaign.
Archival said he had asked Osmeña for more time to make a decision, saying that being a mayor is a “big job.”
Regarding Mayor Rama’s offer to include Archival as part of his lineup of councilors for the 2025 midterm elections, Archival said he informed Rama that he would first consult with Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), with which he is politically affiliated.
Asked about the projects he would prioritize if he became mayor, Archival said he would prioritize the basic needs of the constituents.
He added that business and environmental concerns should also be addressed together, striking a balance between the two.
As he awaits the filing of candidacy, Archival said he is currently consulting with residents and his family.
Better
Asked what makes him a better candidate than the others, Archival said as both public and private person he is different from the others.
As a public official, Archival said he is doing everything he can for the city despite not having a committee, which includes donating his whole salary as councilor of about P120,000 to P125,000 per month for scholarship programs.
He added that his advocacy for the environment would also make the difference, saying that it is the main source of life. Without it, life will be more miserable.
He is pushing for what he called “smart production” for food security, according to Archival.
He said he already made a foundation two years ago that would assist the city in responding to cases of fire and other emergencies.
Lastly, he works in a proactive direction, anticipating potential problems before they happen.
Rama, Garcia react
When asked about Osmeña’s support for Archival’s candidacy during Cebu City Hall’s online program "Ingna'ng Mayor" on Thursday, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he would let them file their candidacy first, noting that anyone is a worthy opponent, even if it is Osmeña’s dog.
Rama said he had set a deadline for Archival to make his decision regarding joining his lineup. The deadline was Feb. 24.
“No more na,” Rama said, meaning Archival will no longer be included in his lineup.
Earlier this month, Rama and Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia announced that they would run for reelection as a tandem in the 2025 midterm elections. Rama also unveiled the legislators in their lineup, which included Archival for the north district.
Asked to comment on Osmeña’s candidacy for vice mayor, Garcia said anyone can run for any elected position in a democratic country.
Garcia, a first-term vice mayor, described Osmeña as a “legend” in the political arena, which makes him entitled to run.
Garcia noted that if Osmeña pursues his plan, he could be a “worthy” and “formidable” opponent.
Yet, Garcia emphasized that ultimately, it would be up to the people of Cebu City to decide.
Potential rivals
Ruiz announced his run for mayor last January, while Cebu City Hall reported that Daluz would run for mayor with former councilor and now Basak Pardo Barangay Captain David “Dave” Tumulak as his running mate.
Daluz and Tumulak, however, told SunStar Cebu that they had yet to make a final decision on running.
Tumulak ran unsuccessfully for mayor in the 2022 elections.