Friday, March 30, 2007 Wenceslao: They’re off and running By Bong O. Wenceslao Candid Thoughts
THE cast for the local polls in May is complete. The campaign period has opened and voters will be forced to hear more about the candidates in the coming days. Some are looking good at the starting line, but this is war and 45 days to V-day (voting day) is a long time.
Thus, most bets can only be sure of winning after all the votes are counted.
--Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has the edge over her main rival, Rep. Antonio Yapha, being the incumbent and having the better machinery province-wide. But the third district congressman has the “Osmeña factor.” Everything now depends on whether the brothers Osmeña, Lito and Sonny, can use their charm to woo back Garcia’s people to their side.
Yapha’s tandem with Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez also poses problems, issue-wise, considering that they are the main proponents of Sugbuak, an unpopular move. And Clavel and Sonny O being anti-Arroyos, it is doubtful whether their group can get funding from the ruling coalition, even if House Speaker Jose de Venecia is their backer.
--Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, being the incumbent and with the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan behind him, enjoys a big advantage over Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos in the race for mayor. De los Santos and her chief backer, congressional bet Jonathan Guardo, even found it hard to complete their slate.
But Mary Ann is saleable, being a woman and an outstanding leader. Osmeña, on the other hand, has made many enemies, who can now gravitate towards de los Santos. The key now is whether she can ride the machinery that Guardo conscientiously built in the south district. If she can, then her only problem would be the north, a smaller area.
Now to the congressional race:
--Let’s not talk about Cebu City’s north district where Rep. Raul del Mar is virtually unopposed. But Rep. Antonio Cuenco has problems in the south district with Guardo making inroads there. Let’s consider the two even for now, then.
--Like del Mar, Rep. Eduardo Gullas is virtually unopposed in the first district of Cebu province. So let us shift to the second district, where former congressman Pablo Garcia has the edge over his opponents, being able to rely on the machinery of the governor’s One Cebu party, which is strong in that area.
--In the third district, I would say Provincial Board Member Estrella Yapha has a slight edge over Capitol consultant Pablo John Garcia. The Yaphas are old hands in the district, but Garcia is making inroads there, too. The campaign period is therefore crucial.
--The fourth district is, admittedly, still the bailiwick of the Martinezes, so Bogo Mayor Celestino Martinez III has an edge over former Provincial Board member Benhur Salimbangon. What is working for Benhur is that some mayors and personalities formerly allied with the Martinez camp have bolted the group.
--Rep. Red Durano is unopposed in the fifth district so let us proceed to the sixth where Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, being the incumbent and having united with the Ouanos, has an edge over Provincial Board Member Luigi Quisumbing. (Unfortunately, the candidacy of former governor Vicente de la Serna has hit a snag with his exclusion in the list of voters in Mandaue City.) Quisumbing, though, has the money, so things can still change.
