THE launching the other day of mayoralty bet Georgia Osmena’s “GO Cebu” political support group may convey an unlikely message of a fragmented Osmeña clan.

Consider that cousins Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Sonny O have also clashed over the latter’s plan to run for city mayor and to prevent Tomas’ BOPK from affiliating with the Liberal Party.

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This, of course, happens to every family when the member that could hold the clan together like Sergio Osmeña Jr., dies.

Consequently, what the Cebuanos are witnessing now are members of the Osmeña clan pursuing their respective political bent, even if they have to bite off each other’s ears. But make no mistake about it, none of them would ever countenance an “outsider” meddling in their turf. Thus people do not believe that Mayor Tom would really stick by his vow to support Vice Mayor Mike Rama for mayor.

Tom may stand by his word of commitment to him, but he will never stop Georgia from her candidacy. And neither will Georgia ever intervene in her brother’s political decisions or devises. I cannot predict, of course, the political turn of mind of the upcoming Osmeña generation, the growing children of the present one. Still this city, it seems, will never run out of political Osmeñas.

Anyway, Georgia’s GO Cebu assures the Osmeña loyalists that they are not going into the 2010 elections without an inspiring, young alternative, which Tommy was when he first entered into Cebu City’s politics. Like his sister Georgia now, Tomas also started as a perceived political non-entity with even cousins Sonny and Lito supporting then Mayor Boy Cuenco. But Tommy won.

By the way, Georgia and her GO Cebu group have strong political similarity with the initial experience of Tommy in city politics. He went ahead, ignoring the advice of well-meaning friends. He was predicted to loss heavily. As they said in those days, he did not have a Chinaman’s chance of surviving in the existing mainstream politics of the time. But then, Tommy made it.

Now, the same could be true with Atan Guardo. Mayor Tom is presently engaging Atan in a sort of political fencing, a thrust and parry play about life styles and political finances. Osmeña has occupied the mayor’s seat in the city for about two decades already. That gives him so much time and space to protect and account for to the city constituents, and to the pesky political neophyte Atan.

Clearly, Tommy is at a disadvantage here, but his political savvy could easily parry Guardo’s thrusts. If only to watch Georgia and Atan struggle to survive against the current of the city’s political stream, just sitting it out to wait would be well worth it.