Cebu’s political pot

THERE was this fearless forecast on the possible outcome in the May 2013 elections by one of this island’s grizzled politicians. At this point, however, it is still too early to reckon the taste of the concoction’s outcome.

The grizzled politician has been at the political kitchen for generations wearing various chef’s uniform, thus it is difficult to hazard a guess about the possible taste of his brew. Even he himself isn’t sure what his current dish would be.

Some weeks back, he was ru­mored as planning to run for city mayor in Toledo, then it turned out he was also contemplating on becoming a congressman of Cebu’s third district whose incumbent has his eyes fixed on becoming the governor, replacing his elder sister.

The elder sister in turn has her sight set on becoming a senator, bargaining her headship of the One Cebu Party into tacit political support from various other political movements in other regions. For instance, she has won the goodwill of the scions of the late president Ferdinand Marcos.

Thus, with the political links, the Cebu governor informally and instinctively set up for her own politics, she is assured now of at least having sown the germ of her political support in other areas. To say that she is not yet capable and ready to run for the Senate is quite an understatement.

When Sonny Osmeña was preparing to run for the Senate many decades ago, he also went through the same status as Gwen Garcia is having today. And so did Serge Osmeña when he was also preparing to run for senator.

Let it not be said that there was a difference, since the Osmeñas had established their name then. But so are the Garcias and Davides. Remember that there was the Cabinet member Jesus Garcia who blazed a trail for the Cebu Garcias. At least we can say that the name game is not alien to the Garcias. They are new and young names, just starting to sprout in the national scene.

Consequently, when aging former senator Sonny Osmeña made the fearless forecast that the Garcias will be wiped out in Cebu’s political landscape in the 2013 elections, anyone could say that he was talking through his tattered political hat.

It is still too early to guess how the Garcias and Davides will make out in Cebu’s politics. And then there are the young Duranos who are trying to refurbish the politics of their parents. For the moment, they are still trying to unify their efforts and work as one.

The political changing of the guards is ongoing in Cebu. We are in the throes of birth of a new generation. We hope the older generation would let go as painlessly as possible.