Ex-Rama aide eyes top ABC post

THE former chief of staff of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama looms as the leading candidate to contest the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) presidency.

“As for Team Rama, we have already decided that Philip Zafra will be running based on our discussions,” said Edu Rama Jr., the mayor’s nephew and one of the insiders of the group.

Zafra is chairman of barangay Tisa. Other names that came up include Tinago barangay captain Joel Garganera, Punta Princesa barangay captain Jose Navarro and Poblacion Pardo barangay captain Althea Lim.

Whoever emerges as chairman of the ABC will sit as an ex-officio member of the City Council.

The rival Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) camp has yet to decide on who to field in the ABC race “There are many inquiries but I’m waiting for our officials to discuss it. We will be meeting by mid-December,” BO-PK founder Tomas Osmeña said.

The BO-PK has been considering Capitol Site barangay chairman Manuel Guanzon to run for the presidency. Guanzon, incumbent ABC vice president, however declined to be drafted.

Guanzon told Cebu Daily News that the ABC officers had yet to meet and set the date for the ABC elections sometime within this month. Correspondent Jose Santino S. Bunachita