Mayor Rama presents his 2013 partners to urban vendors ‘like a miting de avance’

With 95 percent of his slate ready, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday introduced his 2013 election ’partners’  to a crowd of organized urban vendors in the Cebu City Sports Center.

“Team Rama” includes a lawyer, a media personality, one businessman and a mix of former city government officials, and incumbent barangay officials.

“They’ve been saying that Mike Rama is alone.  They have been saying that I needed to organize a job fair to look for allies. But I am proving them wrong,” Rama said.

The presentation took place before  300 members of the Cebu City United Vendors Association (CCUVA) which celebrated its 13th bi-annual general assembly.

The mayor later said the enthusiasm of Ermita Councilor Felicisimo Rupinta who spoke in the vendors’ gathering, made it look like a “miting de avance”.

Rupinta called on vendors to  prevent a “dictator” from taking back City Hall.

“I ask this group don’t let the Osmeñas rule again,” he said.

Rupinta said  he wouldn’t mind losing the election next year as long as Mayor Rama gets re-elected.

The night before, a Friday, the mayor had dinner with his allies in the Rama compound in barangay Basak, where they discussed his vision and mission till midnight.

Team Rama members took turns attending graduations and daycare center activities in the mountain barangays of Pamutan and Bonbon yesterday morning.

They had lunch at the Baseline Restaurant before going to the vendors gathering at the sports center.

No-shows

Rama didn’t call them his election lineup, with seven months still to go before October’s deadline for the official filing of certificates of candidacy.

He introduced them as his “kauban” (companions).

Eight slots each for the north and south district of the City Council are filled.

Everyone already knows Councilor Edgar Labella will be his vice mayor and former congressman Antonio Cuenco will seek reelection in the south district, a seat occupied by Tomas Osmeña.

However, Team Rama has no clear candidate yet for the north district to run against Rep. Cutie del Mar.

For the south district council seats, Rama presented Basak Pardo barangay captain Dave Tumulak, Poblacion Pardo councilor Althea Lim, Inayawan councilor Lotlot Ignacio-Soon, James Cuenco, lawyer Hans Abella and businessman Ronald Diola.

Rama’s north wing will be have Talamban councilor Ronald Caminade, Lahug councilor Mary Ann delos Santos, Ermita councilor Felicisimo Rupinta, Busay barangay captain Eleodoro Sanchez,  Sambag I barangay captain Jerry Guardo,  former councilor and consultant Edwin Jagmoc, and Agsungot barangay captain Pastor Alcover II.

Other members of “Team Rama” like Cebu City Integrated Traffic Operations Management (Ciitom) board chairman Jack Jakosalem (north), radio personality Tisha Ylaya (south) and former SK Federation president Anthony Jones Luy (south) – were not present during the vendor’s gathering.

For the north district congressional seat, Rama said in previous interviews that it was too early to disclose a name.

Names were floated – former councilor Nestor Archival, Dr. Potenciano Larrazabal Jr. and former mayor Alvin Garcia  – but they all begged off.

Miting de avance

Councilor Jose Daluz III told Cebu Daily News that “Team Rama” is made even stronger with the support of  Alvin Garcia.

“Alvin won’t run and there’s no Garcia who will run in the city. They will just join  our campaign,” he said.

Friday’s dinner meeting in the Rama compound saw the mayor talking late into the night about his ideas of public service and “orienting” team mates about his plans to promote public-private partnerships and clean up City Hall.

One direction

It started wth dinner at 6:30 p.m. and lasted until about midnight.

“The mayor wanted us to understand his vision so that we will have one direction as a group,” Sanchez told Cebu Daily News.

Ylaya begged off from attending because she had a cold.

“I have always been a supporter of Mayor Mike Rama and I am a supporter of his brand of leadership but I want to think it over because this will be a big decision to make,” Ylaya told CDN.

Daluz said he will  help “Team Rama” as one of its campaign managers.

He said members were chosen based on their track record in public service, bailiwick, clan and endorsements from other barangay officials.

Clan support

He said Abella was endorsed by the large Abella clan in the south district while Ylaya was endorsed by the Gabuya clan.

Ignacio-Soon, a law graduate and daughter of Inayawan barangay captain Rustom Ignacio, was endorsed by officials of large-population barangays Tisa, Basak, Duljo and Inayawan.

She also has a group of at least 3,000 women from barangay Inayawan.

Diola, brother of Fr. Carmelo Diola of Dilaab, is a real estate developer who donated a 3, 000 sq. meter lot in barangay Kalunasan in 2006 which the city used as a road.

Caminade is first councilor of barangay Talamban while Rupinta is Ermita councilor and CCUVA adviser.