VM Labella: Team Rama wants me to run for mayor

Is the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) causing conflict among members of Barug Team Rama in Cebu City?

In a speech during their Independence Day celebration last June 12, former mayor Michael Rama said the PDP-Laban was to blame for the results of the last barangay elections, where majority of Team Rama’s allies lost.

“Gikapoy na ko. Ang nakaguba sa resulta sa election nga atong gitanom, perting natong amuma ug matuto apan naguba tungod sa PDP-Laban,” he said.

A video of Rama’s speech was posted by Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr. on Facebook.

In a phone interview, Rama said he would not consider PDP-Laban as the party’s opponent if the political group wants to forge an alliance with them.

“I made a declaration that Team Rama will be an independent local group. However, if ang PDP-Laban kung makig-uban, dili kaatbang. Kung ang PDP-Laban di mobungkag sa Team Rama, dili kaatbang,” he said.

Rama stood firm on his pronouncement that he will run for mayor again in 2019.

“I have already made a statement that I’m running for mayor. We will see, the matter will be clearer in the coming days,” he said.

For his part, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said he is also determined to run for mayor.

“I’m open to running because I’m the president of PDP-Laban. Second, I think I’m also willing to serve. It’s also the consensus of the party members, including incumbent councilors and many barangay captains, that they would prefer that I run for mayor, to be frank about it,” he said.

Rama and Labella were runningmates under Barug Team Rama in the last elections.

Labella earlier said he does not see any problem if most of them are members of PDP-Laban while being members of Barug Team Rama at the same time.

Labella said the PDP-Laban is a national political party while Barug Team Rama is a local group.

Both Rama and Labella have clarified that their members will not be leaving Barug Team Rama as they have yet to discuss the group’s concerns.