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CEBU CITY, Philippines - The Cebu vice mayors expressed their support for Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama’s candidacy as national president of the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines (VLMP) yesterday.
Talisay City Vice Mayor Lanie Abarquez, who hosted the vice mayors’ monthly local league meeting yesterday in Talisay, said the vice mayors who attended the meeting gave their support to Rama as the sole candidate of the South after Mandaue City Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna withdrew his bid for the post.
Thirty-six out of the 53 vice mayors in Cebu attended.
Abarquez, secretary general of the VLMP-Cebu chapter, said not only will the vice mayors of Cebu vote for Rama but they will also help him with his campaign to ensure his victory.
Rama said Fortuna’s withdrawal of his bid for the position of national president in the VLMP election next month has increased his chances of winning the post.
Both attended yesterday’s meeting presided by the VLMP president Balamban Vice Mayor Ace Estefan Binghay.
“Magpasalamat ta ni Vice Mayor Fortuna kay makapuno na sa atong chance nga atong madaug ang presidency (We should be grateful to Vice Mayor Fortuna because he just increased our chances of winning the presidency),” Rama said.
Rama said there was no negotiation between him and Fortuna for the latter’s decision to withdraw.
Rama said that Fortuna called him up on Wednesday to inform him of his withdrawal. But Rama said he didn’t ask Fortuna’s reasons why he is giving up on the race.
Rama said he is grateful for the Cebu vice mayors’ support as he is facing a strong opponent in Antipolo City Vice Mayor Danilo O. Leyble, who is reportedly backed up by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Abarquez criticized the DILG for supporting Leyble.
The DILG has scheduled a meeting with vice mayors from Mindanao in Davao City tomorrow.
Abarquez said she suspects the meeting is intended to express DILG’s support on a certain candidate from Mindanao.
She said the Cebu vice mayors’ league passed a resolution condemning the supposed intervention of the DILG in the VLMP national elections.
Rama filed his certificate of candidacy for the position on Wednesday through fax.
Fortuna yesterday cited his parents’ health as the reason for his withdrawal. They were admitted to the hospital on Wednesday.
His father, Pontico “Tex” Fortuna, was a former Mandaue councilor.
Pontico has been suffering from hypotension or low blood pressure while his mother has asthma.
Fortuna did not give details as to why his parents were admitted to the hospital.
Fortuna said that whatever the outcome of the election is, both Rama and Leyble offered him a post with the VLMP.
Rama offered him the post of legal counsel while Leyble offered him the vice presidency, Fortuna said.
He said he declined both offers.
“Unya nalang kung kinsay mapili (I’ll wait for the outcome of the election). But if given a position, I think they should also consider my experience as past national president of a league,” Fortuna said.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña kept himself from being involved in the race but he is happy for the Cebu vice mayors’ support for Rama.
Osmeña said he is glad that Fortuna withdrew his bid. He said Fortuna may have just been pressured to run by the governor to aggravate Cebu City and Rama’s candidacy.
He said Fortuna’s withdrawal left Rama with a good standpoint to win the seat. /Correspondents Marian Christie Z. Codilla, Jhunnex Napallacan and Chris A. Ligan
