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Thursday, April 27, 2006
Editorials: Sonny Osmeña’s gambit
Former senator John “Sonny” Osmeña’s announcement---made during his talk with Sun.Star columnist Frank Malilong---that he would run against Gov. Gwen Garcia in next year’s elections is interesting.
But in the kind of electoral setup we have, nothing is final until the deadline of the filing of the certificates of candidacy.
A politician’s decision to run is dependent on many factors and variables that sometimes are beyond his/her control, thus Sonny’s statement should be considered a compelling possibility among the many possibilities around.
Political savvy
Osmeña is a political veteran; one who, until the last senatorial joust, has never lost an election because of his acknowledged political savvy.
Whether he runs for governor, congressman of the third district or senator, one should therefore be assured that it is a well-studied move.
There are those, though, who are starting to think Sonny’s political sense has dulled with age and that the political wars he waged have finally caught up with him.
Besides, his political decisions now may already have health considerations factored in, something that was not part of the equation during his winning run.
Getting back
In the end, however, what Sonny’s announcement means is that he has not stopped the push for the Osmeña clan, or at least his faction of it, to retake the province.
It has been years since Vicente “Tingting” de la Serna surprisingly trounced former governor Emilio “Lito” Osmeña’s wife, Annette, in a gubernatorial fight.
Since then, the Osmeñas’ hold on the province has weakened, capped by the failed gubernatorial bid of Sonny’s son, John-john, and Sonny not making good in the balloting there, something that contributed to his loss in the senatorial polls.
There’s a lot of rebuilding to do, and Sonny seems to want to do it single-handed.
Motivation
Unfortunately for him, the political landscape in the province is different.
Garcia is continuing to consolidate her hold on the province apparently conscious of her bitterly fought electoral war with former congressman Celestino Martinez Jr.
Even the clout of Sonny’s political allies on their congressional districts is weakening, and their loyalty to him may no longer be that strong.
But then, like in the case of those old ex-boxing champions, the dream of regaining past glories is always a source of motivation to fight on.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 27, 2006 issue)
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