Vice Mayor Garcia is running mate
CEBU CITY (March 23, 2024) – Candidates for the May 12, 2025 election under Partido Barug will soon be finalized, disclosed Mayor Mike Rama.
He reiterated that Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia will be his running mate, while candidates for the City Council is already complete in the south district with three slots still open for the north.
In referring to Garcia, “mao man na akong bise mayor gyud inig file sa certificate (para) 2025,” Rama said during the Ingna’ng Mayor segment of Sugboanon Channel last Thursday.
He said the survey he commissioned should be complete when he returns from his official business travel in Taiwan, or after Easter in the first week of April.
“Hapit na mahuman ang survey. Diri sa South, kompleto na man na sila,” he said, pointing out that alternative aspirants are being evaluated should some party mates take other options
“Diri sa norte, klaro na’ng lima. Tulo na lang,” he added.
Rama explained that prospects and alternative candidates are being surveyed for inclusion in the short list for the eventual line-up.
“We have a time frame (like) last two minutes,” he said, adding a semi-final list will follow, then the penultimate final list, and then the definitive line-up.
Also being surveyed, Rama disclosed, are options for congressional candidates.
“Tan-awon namo’g unsa’y chances ani nila among themselves,” he said, adding that he will compare the result with other surveys “kung as ani sila compared to other congressional personalities.”
His nephew, Rep. Eduardo “Edu” R. Rama, Jr. will seek for a second term in Congress to represent the South District, while Councilor Donaldo C. Hontiveros has been floated to run in the north district.
The mayor’s allies in the Council representing the south district include Councilors James Anthony R. Cuenco, Francis I. Esparis, Rey Gealon, Hontiveros, Jocelyn G. Pesquera, Renato Z. Osmeña, Jr., and Phillip S. Zafra.
While his son, Atty. Mikel Francisco Rama, is assured the eighth slot in the south, two slots will be opened should Hontiveros gets fielded for Congress in the north and Cuenco makes good his pronouncement that he will retire from politics.
Rama’s allies who are still eligible to run for another term in the north district include Councilors Pastor “Jun” M. Alcover, Jr., Edgardo “JP” N. Labella II, and Noel G. Wenceslao.
He mentioned no names considered for the north, but he previously mentioned that Councilor Joel G. Garganera argued he can still eligible as he got excluded when Comelec proclaimed the May 13, 2019 winners.
He and Councilor Jerry L. Guardo got into the “magic eight” after the Comelec en banc nullified the certificates of candidacy of proclaimed winners Sisinio Andales on June 27, 2019 and Alvin B. Arcilla earlier on May 28, 2019. | PPRMN / cte
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