Pepito: 'Political drama' avoided through CBRT vote abstention

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Transportation Committee Chairman Councilor Winston Pepito said he abstained from the Cebu City Council’s vote rejecting the South Road Properties (SRP) component of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project because he refused to take part in what he described as a “political drama” built on what he called a false narrative that the project had been “realigned.”

Pepito explained, in an interview on Friday after the special session, that he chose not to vote either for or against Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s resolution after concluding that the debate had shifted away from the technical merits of the project.

“I decided not to participate in his game,” Pepito said, referring to Osmeña.

READ: CBRT SRP realignment bucked after heated City Council debate

Pepito stressed that the SRP and Bulacao components already formed part of the CBRT’s original alignment approved in 2014, making the repeated use of the term “realignment” misleading.

No rerouting?

“I already know that the SRP and Bulacao routes were from the 2014 approved plan. I am confused why they are using the word ‘realignment’ when nothing is being realigned. There’s nothing to restore because that has been the route from the very beginning,” he said.

The resolution passed with seven affirmative votes, two against, and four abstentions.

Vice Mayor Osmeña and Councilors Philip Zafra, Paul Labra, Michelle Abella-Celona, Sisinio Andales, Alvin Arcilla, and Jose Abellanosa voted in favor.

Councilors Jun Alcover and Harry Eran opposed the measure, while Majority Floor Leader Dave Tumulak and Councilors Winston Pepito, Mikel Rama, and Nice Archival abstained.

‘Not about SRP anymore’

Pepito said his decision came after learning that Osmeña himself signed the 2016 memorandum of agreement covering the CBRT project, which already included the SRP segment.

“I realized this is no longer about SRP. This is about making drama in the media. So I decided not to participate in this drama,” he said.

He argued that the debate had ignored the project’s documented history.

READ: Tomas Osmeña wants Cebu City to reject BRT realignment outright

“Everybody knows that since 2014, that has been the route. They keep using the word ‘realignment’ as if someone is making a realignment, when no one is doing that,” he said.

During Friday’s special session, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Project Implementation Unit engineer Norvin Imbong likewise told councilors that the original Bulacao-to-Talamban alignment remains part of the project and that later approvals merely expanded the network to include the SRP extension rather than replacing the original corridor.

Calls narrative ‘false’

Pepito accused Osmeña of pushing what he called a false narrative that unfairly portrayed supporters of the SRP component as changing the project’s alignment.

“This is a very dangerous game he’s playing just to intentionally bully or harass his colleagues,” Pepito said.

He added that claims of a “realignment” had damaged his credibility by creating the impression that he wanted to abandon the original Bulacao corridor.

“People think I’m the one realigning, but I didn’t do anything to realign. I simply said both should continue because that was the original plan,” he said.

When reminded that his supporters had questioned why he abstained after previously defending the SRP component, Pepito said he accepted the criticism but maintained that voting would only have drawn him deeper into the political dispute.

“I’ll just leave them be. That’s the political drama. That’s why I abstained, so I wouldn’t become part of the political drama,” he said.

Defends earlier position

Pepito has consistently argued that Cebu City should pursue both the original Bulacao-to-Talamban corridor and the SRP extension instead of treating the two as competing projects.

In an earlier interview, he said excluding the SRP would deprive thousands of workers, residents, investors, and visitors of access to one of Cebu City’s fastest-growing business and tourism districts.

He also argued that the SRP section could move ahead immediately because it faces fewer right-of-way issues than the Bulacao corridor, which continues to encounter land acquisition and property settlement delays.

DOTr echoed that position during Friday’s special session, explaining that right-of-way constraints and the approaching September 2026 expiration of the project’s foreign loan prompted the government to prioritize construction in areas already cleared for implementation.

Council still rejects SRP component

Despite those explanations, the council adopted Osmeña’s resolution rejecting the SRP component while maintaining that the original Bulacao-to-Talamban corridor should remain the city’s priority.

The DOTr clarified that the council’s action would prevent implementation of the CBRT within the SRP but would not stop the rest of the NEDA-approved project from proceeding.

READ: Why PH commutes stay unreliable

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