Tumulak willing to join BOPK
Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak yesterday revealed his plan to pledge allegiance to the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan.
This came after opposition Councilor James Anthony Cuenco challenged Tumulak to declare his party loyalty amid insinuations that the latter has been “secretly” supporting Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
Tumulak, who walked out of Team Rama in August last year to become independent, expressed his willingness to join BOPK just two days after former Team Rama ally Councilor Jerry Guardo formally joined the administration party.
“Atong basis is nakita nato nga ang BOPK is focusing on how to improve the city, especially on the basic services, and my advocacy is also the same with the advocacy of the mayor, especially on maintaining public order and safety which I can contribute for the betterment of Cebu,” he told reporters yesterday.
“Let us give a chance to Mayor Tomas Osmeña to prove he deserves to become the mayor and let the people decide after. The people will decide sa atoang prior doings,” he added.
Tumulak clarified joining BOPK was a personal call and that he did not receive any offer from the party in coming up with his decision.
Osmeña, at a press conference yesterday, welcomed Tumulak’s statements but pointed out that he never asked anyone to pledge their allegiance to BOPK.
“Ever since I formed BOPK…it’s not even a party, it comes from inside the heart. I don’t ask for their loyalty. Just work, okay lang because the future of BOPK is not my concern, it’s the future of Cebu,” Osmeña said.
Tumulak will bring the number of BOPK-affiliated councilors to eight, tied with Team Rama.
The allegiance of another councilor Nendell Hanz Abella, who also earlier declared independence from Team Rama, is expected to tip the scales in BOPK’s favor at the council if he will follow Tumulak’s suit.
But according to Osmeña, Abella is part of the BOPK camp already.
“He’s part of the alliance. BOPK is not formal. We make it formal for the people to know who is in our lineup in the election. Day to day basis, there is no BOPK,” Osmeña said.
Meanwhile, the mayor revealed that Councilor James Anthony Cuenco approached him to express interest in joining BOPK but reportedly in one condition.
“(Cuenco said) later on, ‘just give me a little time, I’ll join BOPK.’ In our talks after that, he asked something which is unacceptable – he wants to be a vice mayor. So my message to Rama, you can have him, imo na na,” he said.