Sworn to Office

Reelected Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Vice Mayor Edgar Labella and the four members of the Cebu City Council who are all allies of Team Rama took their oath of office at the historic Plaza Independencia Sunday.

Vice President Jejomar Binay failed to attend the event because of bad weather that prompted the mayor to ask Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Pompio Abarintos to be the one to swear them, together with Councilors Dave Tumulak, Mary Ann de Los Santos, Hans Abella and James Cuenco.

Police said the event was attended by over 1,000 City Hall employees, friends and supporters and families of the new city officials who were all smiling when Rama and the other city officials were sworn to office.

The mayor immediately delivered a 10-minute speech urging his fellow elected city officials and even the City Hall department heads to work hard for the good of the people.

Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas also delivered a similar message when he sworn to office the 14 elected city officials who are allies of the Bando Osmeña Pundok-Kauswagan (BOPK).

Among those who took their oath of office before the DILG Secretary in a simple ceremony at San Pedro Calungsod Chapel in South Road Properties (SRP) last Saturday noon were Cebu City South District Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa and North District Rep. Raul V. del Mar.

Aside from Del Mar and Abellanosa, the other elected city officials who were sworn to office by Roxas are Councilors Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, Ritchie Osmeña, Roberto “Bob” Cabarrubias, Eugenio Gabuya Jr. and Gerardo Carillo, all of the city’s south district.

The seven BOPK elected councilors in the north district who took their oath are Alvin Dizon, Alvin Arcilla, Nestor Archival, Sisinio Andales, Nida Cabrera, Lea Ouano-Japson and Noel Wenceslao.