CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña questioned the integrity of the members of Barug Team Rama over the issue on two local factions of Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban).
Osmeña said Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella deceived the public into believing that he is the legitimate president of the political party despite the existence of another group.
Osmeña clarified that he voiced out his opinion over the issue after some of the members of the existing political party complained to him.
Another faction surfaced and claimed they were appointed as leaders of PDP-Laban Cebu City Chapter. The group was headed by a certain Lorna Roa Bacalla of Barangay Mabolo.
Osmeña earlier called Labella the “bogus president” for claiming as the president of the political party.
He said Labella has not undergone a seminar and still lacks certain requirements to be considered as a member of PDP-Laban. The mayor said Labella could have just followed the rules.
“Why make him president without telling the other president that you are a new president? That is what I am questioning,” he said.
To recall, Barug Team Rama shifted allegiance from United Nationalist Alliance headed by former Vice President Jejomar Binay to PDP-Laban and took their oath of office last November.
“I was told that the president, Senator (Aquilino) Pimentel III, did not assign him or appoint him (Labella) as the president of the party (in the city),” he said.