The Kugi Uswag Sugbo (Kusug) party of former Cebu City Mayor Alvin Garcia has endorsed the four top candidates of Team Rama for the May elections.
In its party convention yesterday, Kusug approved the four motions endorsing the candidacies of reelectionist Mayor Michael Rama, vice mayoral candidate Edgardo Labella, south district congressional bet Aristotle Batuhan and north district congressional aspirant Anabelle Rama.
But the party deferred the endorsement of candidates for councilors contrary to an earlier pronouncement of Kusug president Raymond Alvin Garcia that the party will endorse at least five candidates in the south and another 5 candidates in the north district.
Raymond said the party decided to just focus their endorsement on the top elective positions in the city.
He said Kusug may hold a bigger event or a rally where they will announce their candidates for councilors and even senators.
“We are planning to hold a bigger convention to call on our leaders…maybe in the form of a rally wherein we will really announce all the candidates including senators and councilors. Sa pagkakaron, I hope it is clear to everybody nga we are endorsing just the four top positions,” Raymond said in an interview after the event.
‘No big deal’
Cebu City south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña, titular head of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) brushed aside the endorsement, saying it’s “no big deal”.
“That’s no big deal. We don’t expect defections anyway because all those lined up on the other side were rejected by BO-PK,” he told Cebu Daily News.
Raymond said Osmeña should not belittle Kusug’s force. He said Kusug can be a swing vote in the election, recalling that his father, Alvin, garnered over 100,000 votes in the 2010 election when he went up against Rama.
“Hinumdumi ninyo, ang atong puwersa maoy makapadaug og kandidato karong piniliay sa 2013, sa kasikit sa duwa ang atong vote sa Kusug maoy gitawag og swing vote, mao ni makapadaug og kandidato,” he said.
The party convention was held at the Grand Convention Center and was attended by top leaders of Kusug headed by former mayor Garcia, the founding chairman; his son, Raymond who is the party president; Tinago councilor Joel Garganera who is the secretary-general and loyal members like Lahug barangay councilor Mary Ann delos Santos, Punta Princesa barangay captain Jose Navarro, former councilor Avenecio Piramide and wife Carmen.
Raymond said more than 800 members of Kusug were in attendance to include former and incumbent barangay officials and ward leaders. He said almost all of the city’s 80 barangays were represented.
Most of the candidates for councilors under Team Rama were also present. Although Kusug did not endorse them, Mayor Rama in his speech was able to mention their names and pitch their credentials.
Mayor Rama, Labella, Anabelle Rama and Batuhan were given five minutes each to deliver their acceptance speech.
Mayor Rama thanked former mayor Garcia and other officials of Kusug for endorsing them.
‘Gikan sa akong dughan, di nako matukib ang akong gibati, daghang salamat kaninyong tanan,” Rama said.
Labella said he will try his best not to fail Kusug officials on the trust and support given to him. He gave assurances that once he gets elected city vice mayor, he will make sure that the city council will not block the projects and programs of the mayor.
Celebrity talent manager Anabelle Rama was very combative against the Del Mars and Rep. Tomas Osmeña. In her speech, Anabelle called Raul del Mar and Osmeña as “mga tiguwang”.
Anabelle also questioned the motive of the del Mars to push the flyover projects..
Meanwhile, former Mayor Garcia also took time to narrate why Rama, Labella, Batuhan and Anabelle Rama should be supported.
The former mayor said Mayor Rama is a good and decent man, while Labella is needed so the city council will not be a rubber stamp of the mayor.
Garcia also said that Batuhan has the qualifications to represent the south district compared to Rodrigo Abellanosa of the Liberal Party.
Garcia even questioned why Abellanosa was able to construct his school at the central business district of the city, adding that during his term the expansion of the school buildings in the central business district was not even allowed.
Garcia also asked if Abellanosa’s Asian College of Technology (ACT) was able to follow the parking requirement since ACT is not just a school but also a commercial establishment.
Garcia meanwhile vouched for Anabelle against del Mar.
He said Del Mar just agrees on what Osmeña tells him what to do and that Del Mar made projects without conducting proper studies, mentioning his flyover project.
Garcia also vows to work again in city hall if Mayor Rama will get reelected.
Garcia said he will work with Rama in pushing for his previous projects, which were stopped by Tomas Osmeña when he was the city mayor.
He mentioned the Waterfront Development Project, which Garcia aimed to pattern after the San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf in the US.
“Akong isaad nga kung mapili og usab si Mike ug kamo motabang pag-ayo, ako mobolontaryo og serbisyo balik sa syudad sa Sugbo, way bayad Mike, one peso a year ra,” Garcia told the audience.
BO-PK rejects
Osmena said a three-time loser like Garcia is expected to throw his support to losers like him who are now allied with Team Rama after they were rejected by BO-PK.
He said that he wil also not mind if Kusug will endorse the candidacy of barangay captain Eugenio Gabuya who is seeking election for south district councilor under BO-PK. Gabuya used to be allied with Kusug.
“That’s good for him (Gabuya). He might even top (the elections) with the support from the two sides. But Gabuya is already a sure winner anyway,” Osmena said.
Osmeña said he no longer intends to dwell into why the former mayor chose to support Team Rama candidates.
“I don’t want to spend time analyzing the move of a three time loser unless you want to learn to be a loser,” Osmeña said. /Jhunnex Napallacan and Edison A. Delos Angeles, Correspondents