Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia addresses concerns in a press conference on Thursday, May 23. | CDN Digital/ Pia Piquero
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia hopes that suspended mayor Michael Rama understands that his actions are solely for the benefit of the Cebuanos and are not driven by any political agenda.
Garcia said that Mayor Rama would be entitled to his own opinion and that he would still hold him in the highest respect.
“I just hope that what I am doing will perhaps enlighten him to see that all my actions are for the welfare of the Cebuanos,” Garcia said.
This statement was in response to suspended mayor Rama’s reservations regarding the current actions of the Cebu City government under Garcia’s temporary supervision.
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Rama said that Garcia’s directives did not seem to align with his own. The suspended mayor also mentioned feeling “bothered” by the decisions and policy direction of Acting Mayor Garcia, who is his ally and party-mate.
According to a news report, Rama stated, “I am bothered… Kana bang, buhi pa ko, buhi pa ko, bati akong makit-an, bati akong madunggan, bati akong maobserbahan nga mga action; ‘nya action speaks louder than words.”
(I am bothered … I am still alive, I am still alive, then what I see is something bad, what I hear is bad, I observed actions that are not good, and action speaks louder than words.}
He even added. “I wanted to clarify because I am the one elected as mayor, only suspended, maliciously.”
On June 7, after attending an online First Friday Mass, Rama and his legal team answered questions during an online conference.
One of the questions was about his view on the current situation in Cebu City during his temporary suspension.
When questioned about Garcia, Rama said that he initially believed the vice mayor possessed a steady political compass and would not be swayed by the current events in the city.
“I really thought he had a steady political compass, not politically disturbed… As if he is not my Vice Mayor,” Rama said.
The suspended mayor further observed and claimed that a “greed for power” had come to dominate Cebu City Hall. He remarked that despite being preventively suspended “maliciously,” his presence had been taken for granted.
Moreover, Rama expressed his hope to return as mayor of Cebu City as soon as possible. He said that his legal team was doing its best to appeal against what he perceived as a malicious suspension.