Mayor Garcia, tandem and slate file COC

[FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE]

Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, now serving the unexpired term of his predecessor, today filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for the city mayoral race under the KUSUG-Panaghiusa coalition and vowed to create more opportunities for his constituents to enhance their quality of life.

Garcia and his running mate, former city councilor and Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) chairman Joey Daluz, arrived at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Cebu City at 10:45 a.m. and filed their COCs together with a line-up of 16 coalition candidates for councilor, which included six incumbents.

“I am both honored and humbled to officially run as mayor and seek the mandate of the beloved citizens of Cebu City,” Garcia told some 3,000 supporters who cheered the candidates under the KUSUG-Panaghiusa coalition after they filed their COCs.

“I come into this mayoral race fully prepared and very motivated to serve in a permanent capacity after serving you as your acting mayor but also your action mayor in the last five months,” Garcia said. “I strongly believe that my experience as acting mayor has strengthened my character and love for our city ug niandam nako aron mogiya sa Cebu City alang sa usa ka mas hayag mga ugma nga dugay nang gidamgo sa mga Sugboanon,” he pointed out.

Garcia has been acting chief executive of the city since May following the six-month preventive suspension of Mayor Mike Rama by the Office of the Ombudsman for failing to pay the salaries of four City Hall employees. A subsequent Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum, dated October 5, 2024, directed him to assume the Office of the City Mayor, following a September 8, 2024 Office of the Ombudsman decision on another case — nepotism.

That decision dismissed Rama from service and perpetually disqualifies Rama him holding any government office.

Garcia has been praised by his constituents as “action mayor” for his tangible accomplishments in spite of his brief tenure as acting mayor of Cebu City, among them the completion of Guba Community Hospital and the Apas Super Family Health Center which both sat idle and unfinished for many years until he took over and sent the projects back into full motion.

Garcia approved the purchase of police cars—a request that had been pending for years—when he took the helm of Cebu City in a bid to strengthen peace and order.

“I am proud of my accomplishments as acting mayor, but nothing makes me prouder than knowing that I made a difference in our communities just by taking action immediately,” he said “Kung naay action mayor, resulta ang garantiya!”

The 47-year-old Garcia, the youngest candidate in the four-way fight, was Rama’s vice mayor and running mate in 2022. He rose to the challenge and successfully provided stability to a shaky local government and a polarized community.

“It was an invaluable experience that taught me a lot of great lessons in good governance, particularly in taking action promptly, whether in responding to individual citizens’ concerns or creating new opportunities that will enhance the quality of life of all residents,” he said.

“I am looking forward to putting this political rollercoaster ride behind us and fostering unity into our community through a leadership that is focused on the future,” Garcia said. ”Daghan pa kaayong angay himuon ang naghuwat. Og inubanan sa pagpaluyo sa akong grupo, kampante ako nga dako ang atong agi,” he added.

The full line-up of councilors running under the Kusug-Panaghiusa coalition ticket includes incumbent councilors Jun Alcover, Joel Garganera and Jaypee Labella from the north district and James Cuenco, Rey Gealon, and Renato “Junjun” Osmena from the south. They are joined by Glena Bontuyan, Harold Go, Maria Ailien Guardo, RJ Osmena, Winston Pepito also representing the north district and Pie Abella, Opel Abellanosa, Jeson Guardo, Eugene Labella and Dave Tumulak from the south district.