CEBU CITY — With a “landslide victory” in mind, three of the biggest political parties in Cebu join forces for next year’s elections.
Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama, City Councilor Raymond Garcia, and former City Councilor Jose "Joey" Daluz III have agreed to unify their parties.
Garcia on Wednesday night (Sept. 22) posted on his social media account a photo showing Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino raising Garcia, Rama and Daluz’s hands.
In a press statement, Dino revealed that the three parties will unify in the upcoming elections to get a landslide victory in favor of the candidates in their line-up.
Dino said Rama will run for Mayor with Garcia as his running mate while Daluz will be the unified party’s campaign manager.
Last June, Rama said “they will only have one enemy" in the 2022 elections, referring to Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña of the Bando Osmeńa Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).
Kugi Uswag Sugbo or Kusug is a political party founded by former Mayor Alvin Garcia which was launched in June 2021.
Partido Barug, which is commonly known as BARUG, is another political party founded by Rama. Barug has been affiliated with PDP-Laban since 2018.
Partido Panaghiusa, which was revived by Daluz, was organized by his late mother, broadcaster Nenita "Inday Nita" together with late Cebu City Councilor Antonio Cuenco and the late Senator John Henry "Sonny" Osmeña.