THE observance of All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day last Sunday and Monday was orderly and peaceful, thanks to the earnest effort of the Philippine National Police in controlling the crowd, as well as the traffic, in all cemeteries.

Chief Supt. Lani-O Nerez and his men should be commended for a job well done. The people also deserve praise for helping make the two-day celebration peaceful.

Sun.Star accepts donations for victims of Typhoon Ondoy

I shudder when I recall the violent incident that happened in the public cemetery of the then municipality of Talisay years ago. A homemade bomb was lobbed into the crowd, killing several persons, including children, and injuring others.

That incident put the police on their toes. It also made the faithful wary of going to the cemetery to pay their respects to their dear departed. Learning from that experience, authorities now prohibit the bringing of alcoholic drinks inside the cemeteries.
***
It looks like businessman and opposition leader Atan Guardo was caught with his pants down when Mayor Tomas Osmeña put Ronald Cuenco, son of Rep. Tony Cuenco, in the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) slate for councilor for next year’s polls in the south district.

The mayor, who is running for Congress against Guardo in Cebu City’s south district, is evidently scared of the latter’s political strength as evidenced by his putting Ronald in BOPK’s slate even before he could mend fences with Congressman Cuenco.

Osmeña and Cuenco quarreled bitterly over the mayor’s claim that the congressman left for the United States while the barangay elections were held without providing support to BOPK bets in his district.

Ronald, who already left for the US, has yet to confirm that he is running next year. But the older Cuenco did not also say that he won’t let Ronald run for councilor.

I understand that Guardo is steadfast in his quest for the congressional seat in the south district, whoever his opponent will be. But Ronald’s entry should prod him to review his drawing book.

Guardo was still wooing Cuenco when Mayor Tomas grabbed Ronald to his side. The move has placed the congressman in a compromising situation.

And with Margot Osmeña running for councilor also in the south district, Guardo will be up against the Osmeña couple in the south district in 2010.

The mayor, in pushing Margot to run for councilor, is not actually intending to have her “baby sit” Vice Mayor Mike Rama, like what former senator Sonny Osmeña said earlier. The mayor and Margot just want to pounce on Guardo.

The desire of Mayor Tomas to prevent Guardo from achieving his congressional ambition in the south district reminds us of how he hated his rival on the issue involving funds for the hosting of the Southeast Asian Games here.

On the other hand, Rama, who is Mayor Tomas’ pick as BOPK’s standard bearer for mayor, will have his hands full with both the mayor and his wife running in the south district.

Still, the vice mayor should be circumspect. Sonny’s decision to run for city mayor is something that should make Rama cautious.