Labella to go on leave for 3 weeks

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella | File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella will not be reporting to City Hall in the next three weeks because of his need to fully recover from an illness.

Labella announced in a press conference on Tuesday, June 8, that he will designate Vice Mayor Michael Rama as acting mayor starting on Wednesday, June 9.

Rama, he said, will have to work closely with City Administrator Floro Casas Jr. to ensure smooth City Hall operations.

“Last January, I was rushed to the hospital for an ear infection. But that was not all.”

“While I was at the hospital, and after thorough tests, I was told that I had sepsis or blood infection. I almost died,” he said in a statement that was released to reporters after his press conference.

Labella was admitted to a hospital in January because of his ear infection.  After a series of tests, he was found to also have sepsis and slight pneumonia.

He was asked by his attending physicians then to take a few months off to give his body enough time to fully recover but he refused because of various unfinished businesses at City Hall.

Labella said that he cannot also go on leave while the city was experiencing a second surge of cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

With cases of the infection now on a downtrend and with the continuing implementation of the city’s vaccine rollout, Labella said he reached a decision to already heed his doctors advise.

“I will take this opportunity to pay greater attention to my recovery. During the next three weeks, I will be undergoing a medical workup to make sure there are no more infections sa akong lawas. Through this, I will just be in the City of Cebu,” said the mayor.

Labella said he will soon be back at City Hall fully recovered and in better shape.

While he is away, Labella is asking Cebuanos to continue to observe health protocols.