Tag Archives: Mike Rama

May 2013 Elections: Candidates for Cebu City posts

25 Feb
Official seal of City of Cebu

Official seal of City of Cebu (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The elections are just 77 days away and many people do not know yet who are the official candidates for the local posts in Cebu City. Here is a list of candidates running for elective posts in the city in this coming elections:

MEMBER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES – CEBU CITY

FIRST DISTRICT

  1. DEL MAR, RAUL (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  2. DORONIO, JUNEX
    (INDEPENDENT)
  3. MAAMO, MARLO
    (INDEPENDENT)
  4. MAÑALAC, VIC
    (INDEPENDENT)
  5. NAVARRO, DON
    (INDEPENDENT)
  6. RAMA, ANNABELLE (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  7. VILLARIN, FLORENCIO
    (INDEPENDENT)

SECOND DISTRICT

  1. ABELLANOSA, BEBOT (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  2. BATUHAN, ARISTOTLE (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)

MAYOR – CEBU CITY

  1. OSMEÑA, TOMAS (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  2. RAMA, MIKE (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)

VICE-MAYOR – CEBU CITY

  1. LABELLA, EDGAR (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  2. YOUNG, JOY (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)

COUNCILOR – CEBU CITY

FIRST DISTRICT

  1. ALCOVER, JONG-JONG (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  2. ANDALES, BEBS (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  3. ARCHIVAL, NESTOR (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  4. ARCILLA, ALVIN (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  5. CABRERA, NIDA (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  6. DE LOS SANTOS, MARY ANN (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  7. DIZON, ALVIN (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  8. GUARDO, JERRY (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  9. JAGMOC, EDWIN (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  10. JAKOSALEM, JACK (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  11. JAPSON, LEA (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  12. KINTANAR, BOOBI (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  13. RALOTA, KAEL (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  14. RUPINTA, IMOK (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  15. SANCHEZ, YODY (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  16. WENCESLAO, NOEL ELEUTERIO (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)

SECOND DISTRICT

  1. ABELLA, AHA-HANZ (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  2. AMORES, NAIDA (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  3. ATUPAN, SAMUEL
    (INDEPENDENT)
  4. CABARRUBIAS, ROBERTO (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  5. CARILLO, GERRY (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  6. CUENCO, JAMES (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  7. DIOLA, RADDY (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  8. FERNANDEZ, COPING (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  9. GABUYA, JUN (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  10. IGNACIO-SOON, LOTLOT (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  11. LEYSON, GABBY (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  12. LIM, ALTEA (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  13. OSMEÑA, MARGOT (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  14. OSMEÑA, RICHIE (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  15. PE, JUNPE (LP)
    (LIBERAL PARTY)
  16. PEREDO, FEDERICO (PMM)
    (PARTIDO NG MANGGAGAWA AT MAGSASAKA)
  17. TUMULAK, DAVE (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)
  18. YLAYA, INDAY-TIKAY (UNA)
    (UNITED NATIONALIST ALLIANCE)

Both the ruling Liberal Party and opposition United Nationalist Alliance carry a full slate for May 2013 elections.  Will the Bando Osmena Pundok Kausawagan (BOPK) magic still rule the city?  For the last few elections, former Mayor Tomas Osmena has led his party to a clean sweep.  Incumbent mayor Mike Rama will try to break the winning streak of BOPK.  It is ironic to see that Rama being a long-time BOPK stalwart is now leading the campaign against his kingmaker in the 2010 elections. The 2013 elections in Cebu City will probably be one of the most heated and widely covered in the country.  It would be very important for voters to start making their lists on who to vote for.

There will also be interesting election battles for congressional spots.  Long-time Cebu City North District Congressman Raul del Mar will come out from his 3-year hiatus to face the very emotional and popular Cebuana talent manager Annabelle Rama.  Del Mar is allied with Noy-noy Aquino’s Liberal Party while Rama is with her cousin’s line-up in UNA.  There will be clear contrast in campaign styles as del Mar is known for low-key approach while Rama is expected to bring stars from Manila to help her woo the Cebuano voters. For the South district, there will definitely be a first-time congressman as former councilor Bebot Abellanosa faces off with Atty. Aristotle Batuhan.

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Residents say NO to Guadalupe split

28 Jul

The people of Guadalupe, Cebu City has been spoken. With 67% percent of those who voted saying “No!”, the results  gave a resounding message to the politicians and the leaders who campaigned for the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 9905 of then Congressman and long-time Guadalupe resident Antonio Cuenco. The plebiscite had an underwhelming 42.5% voter turnout with 8,107 voters siding with “No” while only 3,990 wanting Cebu City’s biggest barangay to be split up.

It was a big victory for the incumbent officials led by barangay Michael Gacasan.  Former Guadalupe village chief Eugenio “Jing-Jing” Faelnar also voted for No. Bill author Antonio Cuenco was disappointed with the outcome but he accepted the decision of the residents.  Mayor Mike Rama who was a big supporter of the creation of the new Barangay Banawa-Englis failed to vote as he was outside the country.  Another happy observer was Labangon Barangay captain Victor Buendia who would have become a resident of the new barangay had the “YES” side won.  Former Mayor Tomas Osmena and wife Margot Osmena decided not to vote even if they were residents of the barangay because they wanted the people to decide for the fate of Guadalupe.  When asked for a reaction with the result, Osmena said that the result showed that Rama and Cuenco have little influence on the people of Guadalupe.

Some observers believed that Osmena was playing safe as he is afraid to create enemies with an election coming in less than 10 months.  We will not know if indeed the plebiscite have some effect on the May 2013 polls but as early as now, the opposing camps can use what happened as canon fodder for the coming election campaigns.

 

 

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Decision time for Guadalupe residents on Banawa-Englis creation

27 Jul

Today the residents of Barangay Guadalupe will vote  on the proposed creation of Barangay Banawa-Englis. The registered voters of Gaudalupe will just just choose Yes or No on their ballots.  A “YES” vote means that they are in favor of splitting Cebu City‘s largest barangay into 2. While a “NO” vote means that they want to retain the status quo.

Voting will start at 7 am and polls will close at 3 in the afternoon. Results are expected to come out by 9 in the evening. If the YES votes prevail, Brangay Banawa-Englis will be the city’s 81st Barangay.

Barangay Guadalupe has a population of 47,000 and it is estimated that around 23,000 live in the Banawa-Englis area. The incumbent Barangay captain is Michael Gacasan.  A YES victory in the plebiscite  will create the new barangay but it will still be under the governance of Guadalupe until a special elections will be conducted by the COMELEC to elect the first ever set of officials of Barangay Banawa-Englis.

The holding of plebiscite today receive a stiff opposition from residents of Labangon headed by Labangon Barangay captain Victor Buendia.  Buendia wants the Supreme Court to nullify the results should “YES” win because his barangay is not given a say on the matter as it also affects 13 sitios of Labangon.  Buendia’s opposition got into the nerves of former Congressman Antonio Cuneco who authored the bill creating the new barangay.  Cuenco is reportedly asking the courts to remove Buendia from his position as he is not a resident of Labangon since his house is within the boundaries of Guadalupe.

The vote might not affect much the lives of ordinary citizens outside Banawa-Englis but it is important for Guadalupe residents to get out and vote today to have at least have a say on the issue. Some pundits consider this plebiscite as preview of the May 2013 elections as Mayor Mike Rama and ex-Congressman Antonio Cuenco are vocal supporters of the split.  By tomorrow, the people of Cebu will know if the dream of some residents in Banawa-Englis to have their own barangay will become a reality.

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Annabelle Rama files libel against 3 showbiz personalties; almost sure of running for Cebu City North district congressional seat

28 Jun

Cebu City – Famous Cebuana talent Manager Annabelle Rama flew home to Cebu yesterday with husband Eddie Gutierrez, son Elvis and grandchildren Lorin at Venice.  It was not for a vacation or family visit. Her main purpose of the visit to her home city is to file charges against Nadia Montenegro, Amalia Fuentes, and showbiz reporter reporter Chito Alcid.  She filed several counts of libel against three for allegedly posting libelous statements in social networking sites.  She was accompanied by her lawyer Delon Richel Ramon Urot, her brother Basak San Nicolas barangay captain George Rama, and other family members and supporters, when she filed the cases at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

In her interview, she also mentioned that she is bent on running in the coming May 2013 elections for the house seat of the Cebu City North District.  She is a cousin of the incumbent City mayor Michael Rama who are out odds with South District Congressman Tomas Osmeña.  The north district seat is currently held by Cutie Del Mar. The del Mars have long held the post and the family are staunch allies of Osmeña.

Here is a youtube video of her interview with the local media in Cebu:

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2013 elections preview: Councilor Labella to run for Cebu City VM

28 Feb
Official seal of City of Cebu

Image via Wikipedia

The line-ups of the contending parties for the exciting 2013 elections in Cebu City is slowly taking shape. Councilor Edgardo Labella accepted the invitation of incumbent Mayor Mike Rama to be his running mate in the Liberal Party slate. Their candidate for the South district congressional seat will be former Congressman Antonio Cuenco. Some Barangay captains and city councilorsexpressed support for the Rama-Labella tandem. Apas Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman and Busay Barangay captain Yody Sanchez were vocal of their support.

Current South district Congressman Tomas Osmeña is bent on getting back his old mayoralty post and he has chosen Vice Mayor  Joy Young. Osmena’s party the Bando Osmena Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) has been the undisputed dominant party in Cebu City. Congressman Osmena will hold a press conference this week to voice out his reaction on these recent developments.

Three city councilors were also present when Councilor Labella announced his acceptance to be Mike Rama’s running mate.  Councilors Daluz, Ronald Cuenco, and Eduardo Rama Jr., who all won slots in the city council under BOPK, are now siding with the current Cebu Mayor.

While the elections is still over a year away, it is expected that many politician will start positioning themselves as potential candidates or successors in the coming days. The battle for Cebu City posts is going to be very competitive and many political pundits are excited to know more developments about the new political alignments. We will keep you posted. ;)

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City Mayor wants Pasil Market converted into Plaza

6 Sep

Mayor Mike Rama is bent in pursuing his intention his intention to turn the Pasil Market into a public park. Rama has been wanting to convert the market even when he was still the vice mayor of the city. He believed that the plaza will greatly improve the area near the San Nicolas Church. The Church is over 300 years old.

The city council led by current vice mayor Joy Augustus Young is opposing the plan and proposed instead that a school should be built in the are to cater the students of nearby barangays.

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City Hall Chronicles: 14 DWUP casuals now out of job

2 Jul
Cebu City City Hall

Image via Wikipedia

Cleansing has start in some departments in the City Hall as the Rama administration starts to breakaway from the systems that are in place from the previous Osmeña administrations. Weeks past there were rumors that some employees will “Tom Jones” meaning Taman June or they will be out of job at the end of June.  14 contractual employees of the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor were the first set of employees who were let go by the city.

Many felt that this politically motivated.  Many of the employees who lost their job were loyal to BOPK, Congressman Osmeña’s party.  Some critics said that the notice that the City Hall to the employees was to short for them to at least start looking for work.

Mayor Mike Rama has declared weeks ago that he should work with people that he can trust and are loyal to him.  This incident at the DWUP will not be the first and more announcements will be made in the coming days.

 

 

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Issues: Protestant Cemetery in Kalunasan

15 Jun

During the public hearing yesterday, several personalities and groups voiced their opposition on the proposed multi-faith cemetery.  The lot that used to be the Osmeña Shrine was donated by the Cebu City government to the Evangelical Christian Coalition of Cebu Inc. (ECCCI) days before the May 2010 elections.

Opposition Arguments:

Lahug Barangay Councilor Mary Ann De los Santos – The property is in Barangay Lahug not in Kalunasan and the city government never consulted its leaders.  She wants the deal to be voided.  Making it a cemetery could also violate city zoning rules. The property is classified as rural-residential.  She also insinuated that the timing of the donation in relation to the elections.

Girl Scouts of the Philippines Visayas represented by egional Executive Director Aida Saromines – The shrine is near the water source of several deep wells in the area including that of Camp Marina.  Having a cemetery might affect the water quality in the area.

Beverly Glen Homeowners Association (BGHA) led by its president Luis Villalon – In their letter to Mayor Mike Rama mentioned health and environmental factors as reasons to oppose the project.  The same argument were made by Beverly Hills Homeowners and the group also opined that the cemetery violates zoning laws.

Kalunasan Barangay Captain Nunilon Monares Jr. – His constituents and nearby villages are opposed to the conversion of the 4 hectare property into a cemetery.

Capitol Consultant Atty. Lito Astillero – The donation may violate the original provisions of the donation of the said property form the Provincial government to the City government years back.  He also noted that there was a  decrease in enrollment in his school The Lyceum of Cebu upon the news of having a cemetery near the school.  He said some students fear that they will see ghosts in the school.

Villa Remedios Homeowners Association head Edmundo Vinzon – He feared that the cemetery will hamper development in the area because cemetery might affect the road network.

 

Proponents:

Congressman Tomas Osmeña – The minority deserves a cemetery.  He said he has donated lots for Muslims before.  By giving non-catholic constituents a decent burial ground is showing the residents of the city that the city officials serve even the minority.  The area of the cemetery is well-drained and forested so fear of contamination is just psychological. He even offered to finance the construction of a water purification plants for the water sources in the area.

Romeo Borado, head of the evangelical coalition – He was thankful that the city has given the protestant community a place to bury their departed loved ones.

 

 

caloycomment: With the growing population of Cebu, graveyards will be scarce in the future.  The intentions of City government is good but the public must also have the right to voice out concerns about the donation.  The public hearing is a good venue and hopefully the council will come out with a resolution that will be satisfactory to all concerned parties.

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BOPK council solid for now: Young

13 Jun
Map of Cebu showing the location of Cebu

Image via Wikipedia

The Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) bloc in the Cebu City council remains intact for now according to the belief of Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young. There were talks that as many as 4 councilors are bolting the group founded by former mayor Tomas Osmena to start an opposing group with incumbent mayor Mike Rama. Mayor Rama recently declared himself out of the mighty BOPK.

Congressman Osmena hosted a dinner last Sunday with the city council save for Councilor Edu Rama who happens to be a nephew of the present mayor.  Young said that it was just right that Councilor Rama was not invited so that he will not be put in a very awkward position. Congressman Osmena clarified that the dinner was not a loyalty check but more of a discussion on the issues in city  like the Ciudad development in Banilad.  He also added that anybody can  leave the BOPK especially if the member does not believe its policies and principles.  So far, no councilor has openly declared on leaving the BOPK.

caloycomment: Hopefully this Mayor vs. council conflict will not adversely affect government services.  It would be tough to advance meaningful bills and developments if political instability is present. There are no major delays in public service but many people in the City Hall are tip-toeing and watchful on the next moves of both sides.  I expect a lot of changes by the end of this month.

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Tom vs. Mike: Fictional Tale of the Tape

13 Jun
Cebu City City Hall

Image via Wikipedia

If Cebu politics were a boxing promotion the main event will be Tom vs. Mike.  Here is a fictional fight card of the recent events of Cebu politics.

Event Name: Powerplay

Venue: Cebu City Hall

Main Event:

Tomas “The Ex-Mayor” Osmena vs. Mike “The New Mayor” Rama

Party:            BOPK                                           Independent

Position: South District, Congressman       Cebu City Mayor

Prizes:

  • SRP Trophy
  • The love of the people
  • Cebu City Super Heavyweight Belt

Round Girls:

  • Joy Pesquera
  • Margot Osmena
  • Gwen Garcia
  • Cutie Del Mar

Judges:

caloycomment: This fight will be the biggest fight in Cebu for years as perennial vice-mayor Mike Rama decided to separate himself from the “empire”.  After being elected as mayor under the formidable BOPK banner, Mayor Mike started to throw his weight around and implement his ideas in governance without consulting the powerful Tomas Osmena. The mayor has started dismantling some of ex-mayor Osmena’s policies.  Mayor Mike started to be friendly with Osmena-nemesis Governor Gwen Garcia. Mayor Rama also appointed ex-councilor Joy Pesquera and started “grilling” the members of Osmena-appointed MMT.  Mayor Mike also has been at odds of the BOPK dominated council on how to handle issues on demolition of settlers in Mahiga creek and the selling of lots in the SRP. A week ago Mayor Mike finally drew the lines and declared himself as independent(He should have waited for June 12 for added drama).

The date of the fight is tentatively May 2013 but it can be earlier. Will Mike’s new party do a Dallas Mavericks over the BOPK All-Star team? Will Mike choke under pressure just like Lebron James? This will be a very exciting fight and the hype has started in the Cebu newspapers. What do you think???

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