Barug, KUSUG to unite in new council?

Partido Barug and Kugi Uswag Sugbo (KUSUG) may once again join forces in the new City Council.

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The presence of several members of Barug, including Cebu City South District Congressman Eduardo "Edu" Rama as well as councilors Francis Esparis, Harry Eran, and Franklyn Ong during KUSUG's oath-taking ceremony last June 28 sparked conversations of a potential alliance between KUSUG and Barug.

This comes a year after former mayor Michael Rama ended the alliance between Barug and KUSUG, amid tensions with former mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.

"We just ran in different parties sa 2025, pero it doesn’t mean to say nga dili na mi amigo, amigo gihapon mi," Garcia said, highlighting that his close friendship with Edu Rama remains strong.

He added that the support they received from various Barug members shows the good rapport between the two parties, who once competed in the polls.

When asked if there is an official coalition between the two parties already, Garcia says it’s still too early to tell.

"You have to wait for a few more weeks. I'm very much open to a coalition," he said.

He also said he has already discussed plans for a coalition with Barug, as well as committee designations and chairmanships, but clarified that nothing is official yet.