Osmeña, Yapha falling out?

CEBU, Philippines - The longtime political alliance of Toledo City Mayor John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña and Vice Mayor Antonio Yapha Jr. has turned sour after the latter decided to stick it out with the Liberal Party.

 Osmeña is giving Yapha until Friday to sign a “written endorsement” supporting his reelection bid.  Osmeña ran in 2013 as independent candidate while his runningmate, Yapha, is under the Liberal Party. 

Yapha explained that his presence in LP meetings is understandable being the chairman of the party in the third district.

“Ang problema is Yapha’s duplicity. Mag-meeting gani ang mga liberals moadto siya og magparetrato tupad ni Gaite, magpatuo siya nga runningmate. Kami gani mag-atubang moingon siya naa nako,” Osmeña said.

Councilor James Gaite is running for mayor reportedly without runningmate but with 10 candidates for councilors under LP. 

 However, Yapha said even if he is an LP member he still supports Osmeña and even files his certificate of candidacy alone.

“Wa ko moingon mobiya ko niya (Osmeña), siya gyud ako’ng mayor,” Yapha said.

 Osmeña said he told Yapha to put his words into writing and sign it but the latter reportedly refused.

“When the deadline comes and still he doesn’t sign it, even if he files alone the certificate of candidacy, I will still wait for him until the deadline but if (he) does not sign it until the deadline then I will find a replacement,” Osmeña said.

Yapha said he is already hesitant to go with Osmeña for the filing of COC after he learned that Councilor Zosimo Abellanosa is the latter’s runningmate.

But Osmeña said Abellanosa is just a “potential replacement” should Yapha decides to leave him and would instead run with Gaite.

Meanwhile, One Cebu Party is only fielding Councilor Ricardo “Kuya Nick” Pepito for vice mayor. It has four bets for the council: former mayor Arlene “Daydee” Zambo, Councilors Eric Espinosa, Louie Espinosa and former Provincial Board Member Caesar Ian Zambo.

But Osmeña said former mayor Aurelio Espinosa is also running for mayor as independent. Aurelio is the father of Arlene, Eric and Louie while Ian is the brother-in-law of Arlene.—(FREEMAN)