Team Rama conflict a ‘boring drama’

“A political strategy.”

This was how Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña described the move of the opposition declaring two names who will run against him next year.

“Just watch their body language. If they start hitting each other, then I'll believe that there's a real split. If they expose each other's anomalies... but no, it's only shadow boxing,” the mayor said.

Over the weekend, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella declared his intention to run for mayor next year. Former mayor Michael Rama earlier announced he was eyeing for the city's top post.

This would possibly mean a three-cornered fight for mayor in next year's elections.

Osmeña seemed not threatened, saying the opposition is just “dramatizing” the whole thing to make it appear in the end that the opposition is still united.

Both Labella and Rama have the same stand that only one of them will run against Osmeña next year.

Osmeña, said the opposition is just doing a “boring drama.”

Between Labella and Rama, Osmeña said Labella is stronger since the vice mayor is being backed by Presidential Assistant for Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino.

However, the mayor said Rama is stronger in terms of experience because Rama has command votes over Labella. Sought for comment, Labella shrugged off Osmeña's statements.

Labella said he is not only being backed by Dino but also the entire PDP-Laban.

“I'm backed by the entire PDP-laban hierarchy, not only Dino. Dino is not a politician,” Labella said.