Moreno confirms transition team for Klarex

A TRANSITION team is in place to oversee the turnover at Cagayan de Oro City Hall for Rep. Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy of Cagayan de Oro City’s 1st district who will assume as city mayor at noon on June 30, Mayor Oscar Moreno said yesterday.

“Congressman Uy has his transition team and even during the campaign period he had been briefed and arranged meetings with the department heads who updated him (on their situation). I think he will organize a team that will coordinate with our counterpart team to be led probably by (acting City Administrator) Teddy Sabuga-a to ensure (the smooth transition),” Moreno said during Wednesday afternoon’s City Hall press briefing.

While acknowledging that there will be changes in some departments, Moreno said it is the incoming mayor’s prerogative to make these changes.

“I’m sure he’s aware that the City Hall bureaucracy is managed well and if he would institute changes, he would wait for sometime before making it; these changes won’t be sudden. These changes won’t be adversarial because Mayor Klarex had been part of the administration,” Moreno said.

When asked about his plans after June 30, Moreno said in jest that he would have time to play basketball or even be a radio commentator.

“I might go into teaching and some consultancy work but otherwise I would take time off first and maybe later, help Mayor Klarex. Not in an official capacity but from time to time when available and only upon his call…I would also coach (Councilor-elect) Imee (Moreno-Lapuz),” Moreno said referring to his daughter who won the local elections.

If asked by incoming Mayor Uy, Moreno said he would even volunteer to continue with the Covid-19 watch program that his administration began at the onset of the pandemic back in March 2020. The press briefings continued even after Moreno formally launched his gubernatorial campaign last March.

Moreno ran but lost his gubernatorial bid in Misamis Oriental in this year’s elections, nine years after he served the province first as congressman of Misamis Oriental’s first district in 1998 and then as governor from 2004 to 2013.

He was elected Cagayan de Oro City Mayor in 2013 and ends his term at noon on June 30.

In a press statement, Moreno congratulated incoming governor Pedro Unabia and said he had no regrets about his gubernatorial run together with his Kaabag Kami team. (Stephen Capillas of the City Information Office)