Margot considers House bid

Succeeding her husband as Cebu City’s south district legislator had crossed City Councilor Margot Osmeña’s mind.

The neophyte councilor made the announcement days after former congressman Antonio Cuenco confirmed another run for the city’s south district.

“I am grateful that the barangay captains have confidence in me. I am never close to anything  but I don’t spend much time thinking about it.  Things will fall in the proper place and at the proper time,” she said.

Cuenco earlier said he secured the endorsement of 30 of 34 barangay captains for his run next year.

But the barangay captains said they will withdraw their support should Councilor Osmeña decide to run for the city’s south district.

She said last-term Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa and lawyer Aristotle Batuhan also expressed interest to run for the south district post.

“But there is a need to test the waters.  You cannot just jump into the lake,” she said.

The councilor said her husband, former Cebu City mayor and now Rep. Tomas Osmeña, didn’t ask her to run in his stead.

“The decision is really up to me,” she told Cebu Daily News.

At Cebu City Hall, Mayor Michael Rama said getting Councilor Edgardo Labella to be his running mate next year and Councilor Ronald Cuenco is like “manna from heaven.”

Rama said he wanted to get  good candidates who would challenge the ruling Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) candidates in 2013.

“Substance have already been put in place and the form follows,” he said.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said he takes pride in the fact that Rama is getting former BO-PK allies to be part of his slate.

Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district said Rama’s lineup does not bother him at all.

He said the BO-PK still has the best candidate for mayor and vice mayor since he and Young are recipients of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awards.

Osmeña received his TOYM in 1989 while Young had won his in 1994 for starting the night high school program in Cebu City.

“That’s what BO-PK has to offer. A model for the youth, a model for the country,” he said in a text message.

Several names that  include former councilors Sylvan Jakosalem, Edwin Jagmoc, Manuel Legaspi and Arsenio Pacana werealso floated as members of his councilorial slate.

Rama said these names are being considered but he could not yet say who would be in his final list.

He also admitted that he earlier invited former councilor Hilario Davide III to be his candidate for the north congressional district but Davide declined.

Rama said he does not also discount the possibility that a member of the old Kugi Uswag (Kusug) party of former mayor Alvin Garcia may also be invited to join their group.