Team Rama banking on support of barangay captains

At least  42 barangay captains and officials of Cebu City’s 80 barangays gathered yesterday  at the Rama ancestral home in barangay Basak, San Nicolas, Cebu City  as a prelude to their campaign kick-off.

“It’s a gathering of commitment and more or less a renewal for Team Rama,” said reelecitonist Mayor Michael Rama.

Team Rama’s opening salvo will start after a 7 a.m. Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in Cebu City.

A show of force is planned with candidates  set for  hand-shaking  sorties in various barangays.

Rama announced that  Team Rama and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) will hold a rally g at the Plaza Independencia on April 6.

“There will be a  few speeches. We want to  make people happy,” the mayor said.

The rival  Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) will also gather for a Mass  at the Pedro Calungsod chapel at the South Road Properties (SRP) today.

“There won’t be any speeches afterwards,” Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district said.

His wife, Councilor Margot Osmeña, said no invitations were sent out but people are free to join the Mass.

All candidates of Team Rama were present at the Rama residence except for Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem,  who remains at home recuperating from brain surgery for a rare parasite infection that kept him hospitalized for several weeks.  He was represented by his wife Sharon.

Rama said Sharon will campaign for her spouse.

Former congressman Antonio “Tony” Cuenco will join the campaign to endorse lawyer Aristotle Batuhan for Cebu City’s south congressional district.  Antonio’s son James Cuenco is running for councilor in the south district.

Mayor Rama’s cousin and congressional candidate Annabelle Rama called on the public not to believe in reports that  BO-PK’s survey results show them ahead.

The Easter Sunday gathering brought supporters to the Rama compound.

“The family home is where we propagate the values of (my late grandfather), former senator Don Vicente Rama, the father of Cebu City,” Rama said. /Tweeny M. Malinao, Correspondent with Correspondent Edison delos Angeles