Rama unfazed over Tomas’ bid

There’s no turning back for Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama as far as running for reelection is concerned.

He said he will run for mayor even if it means going up against his predecessor, Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district.

But for now, Rama said he only wanted to focus on work.

“I’d like to be more focused and encourage all to be working in that direction,” he said in a press conference yesterday, his first since he returned to Cebu City last Friday.

Rama said his administration’s priorities remain to deliver basic services, quality education, environmental preservation, needed infrastructure and establishing a business friendly city.

Last Jan. 25, Osmeña promised that he would run for mayor to make sure that Rama and his slate would be defeated.

Rama said he read newspaper reports since his arrival to keep updated on the city’s developments.

Rama denied having received an offer from Liberal Party (LP) national officials to make him run for south district congressman, an alternative seen to address his political dispute with Osmeña.

Osmeña said in an earlier interview that there was no such offer from LP.  He said that it was a Cebuano friend who brought up the possibility.

“If you are beaten by a snake once, that may be considered an accident. But if you are bitten twice, that will already be katangahan (stupidity),” the congressman said.

Rama said in a separate interview that he didn’t receive any offer from LP officials to make him run for Congress.

Even if he did, he was bent on seeking reelection for mayor.

The mayor said that being an LP member, he continues to pay their dues, attend gatherings and abide by LP policies.

Rama said he was prepared to come up with a complete slate that he would field against the administration Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) candidates.

“He can pronounce that he is mighty for as long as I will continue what I also wish.  And that is to focus on the best of what I can do,” he said.  /Doris C. Bongcac, Chief of Reporters