Mike Rama refuses to concede Cebu City mayoral defeat
Voting irregularities, delays, machine glitches reasons for him not to give up
Former mayor Mike Rama, during a press conference on May 13, called on the public not to force him to concede defeat. | CDN Photo/ Pinky Rondina
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former Cebu City mayor and Barug party standard-bearer Michael “Mike” Rama has refused to concede defeat in the 2025 midterm mayoral race.
He cast doubts on the electoral process’s credibility and vowed to contest the results.
In a press conference held hours after the proclamation of winners on May 13, Rama, who placed third in the official tally, said he “remained unconvinced” by the outcome of the race and hinted at possible legal action.
“Do not force me to concede,” Rama told reporters.
READ: Election 2025: BOPK dominates Cebu City polls
He questioned the integrity of the automated election system and cited alleged irregularities that marred the conduct of voting in Cebu City.
Based on the official count, incumbent Councilor Nestor Archival of the BOPK was proclaimed the city’s new mayor with 256,197 votes. His closest rival, incumbent Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia of the Kusug party, garnered 176,967 votes, while Rama trailed with 120,124 votes.
Despite the wide margin, Rama said his camp had been receiving reports of technical issues and voting discrepancies, particularly with the Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) used during the May 12 elections.
“We waited for one hour. This is too much. What is going on? If you’re opening a very confidential machine, you have to ensure everything runs smoothly,” he said, recounting his own experience at the polls.
READ: Elections in Cebu yield interesting results so far
He also relayed a complaint he received from a voter during election day.
“Mayor, dili man mao ang nigawas sa ako gibotaran,” Rama quoted the voter as saying.
(Mayor, what came out was not the person I voted.)
He claimed the ballot showed a different candidate than the one selected.
“Atu jud ning tugkaron tanan. Ako gifocus lahi man nga tawo. Lahi man ang nigawas,” he said.
(We will get into all of this. I focused, it was a different person. What came out was a different person.)
Rama clarified that his party was not making accusations without basis, but is intent on uncovering the truth.
“Let’s not rush to conclusions. If there are questions about the numbers, we need to look closely and make sure everything is in order. The people deserve the truth,” he said.
READ: Winning senators to be proclaimed Saturday at earliest — Comelec
He also questioned what he called a “suspicious disparity” between vote tallies from Cebu City’s northern and southern districts.He suggested reviving a legal precedent previously used by his team to challenge past election outcomes.
“If the numbers don’t add up, if the trends defy reason, we must scrutinize,” he said.
“As such, I am directing our legal team to fathom and do all necessary actions to reconcile the actual situation and the recent election result,” he added.
Rama further revealed that he had previously received invitations to run for the Senate but declined in order to focus on Cebu City.
“Did you know I was set to run for Senator? Probably not. But because of my love for Cebu City, I chose to stay. I want to settle things here once and for all,” he said.
To critics who have called him a sore loser, Rama made a rebuttal.
“I am not a sore loser. I am a vigilant servant. If there is doubt, we seek clarity. If there is wrongdoing, we pursue justice. But do not—do not—do not—force me to concede,” he said.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
