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Monday, January 09, 2006
Nalzaro: Unsolicited advice
By Bobby Nalzaro
I KNOW Jonathan Guardo, who recently resigned as Cebu City sports commissioner. But we are not close. The only time he and I met face to face was when he bought a few minutes of radio block-time at dySS and I interviewed him about their family business, the Osaka Iridology. We had talked over the phone on several occasions before that, but it was usually about sports matters.
Now he has confirmed that he is eyeing the congressional seat in the south district in next year’s elections. That means he will go up against Rep. Antonio Cuenco.
Well, in a democratic society, we are entitled to our own dreams, aspirations and ambitions. Guardo may not be popular, but he can afford to bankroll his candidacy. He is the top honcho of the family-owned Osaka Iridology.
I have heard that his mother is also in politics, being an incumbent mayor in one of the towns in Surigao del Sur, where the Guardos hail. His younger brother Jerry is also barangay captain of Sambag 1.
Jonathan may consider me as a friend or an acquaintance. But this is my unsolicited advice to him. Don’t run next year, my friend. You will be facing a formidable opponent and a political giant with vast political experience. If you do go ahead, you will just be wasting your money. You need more exposure and a well-entrenched political machinery to defeat Cuenco. This is the same advice I will give to other personalities who wish to run against North District Rep. Raul del Mar.
Learn from the experience of lawyer Aristotle Batuhan, who ran and lost against Cuenco in the last two elections. And mind you, Batuhan, who had the backing of former senator John Osmeña, had political exposure years before he decided to enter politics.
Guardo should try his luck first in the Cebu City Council. If he makes it, then he can start building his own political empire and wait until 2010 when Cuenco’s term expires. By then, if Cuenco fields his wife or son, Guardo will have a bigger chance of success.
There is another problem, though. What if Vice Mayor Michael Rama is also interested in the position?
And with Guardo’s conflict with Mayor Tomas Osmeña on the overspending during the hosting of the Southeast Asian Games, I don’t think he will be running under the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) banner.
In Cebu City, a politician who is not affiliated with the BO-PK has a slim chance of winning, especially if the opposition fails to pit a strong personality against Tomas in the mayoralty race. This theory has already been proven.
Let’s face it Cebu City is an Osmeña stronghold. Only another strong Osmeña can beat Tomas.
(bgnalzaro@gmanetwork.com)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 9, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here.
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