Tough spot to be at: a guy yapping on your heels, threatening to grab your place.
At tail end in the Senate tally is opposition's Koko Pimentel, who wants to sit in the Senate with father Aquilino, a pa-and-son bonding that many people see as dynastic.
Palace bet Mike Zubiri dislodged Koko Saturday but lost the slot again to Koko Monday. The seesaw can go on, which is no fun to the faint-hearted.
Not so anymore in Cebu City's polls. Tail-enders in the council race---Jun Pe in the north and Richie Osmeña in the south---are already in, their victory sealed. It's just the honor, or stigma, that sticks.
Some say Junpe could've done better, which people didn't expect from political virgin Richie.
Junpe's finish
Junpe lost two elections before he barely made it to No. 8 in 2004. In this year's race, he finished last again but a few more sprints away from No. 9 poll bet.
A dismal finish, not encouraging for the mayor's "handyman" who's so close to the boss that, one story says, only Councilor Junpe can tell Mayor Tomas to zip his fly at night (of course, not counting First Lady Margot who presumably can order her husband to zip or unzip anytime).
Junpe can't blame the mayor, who led over rival Mary Ann de los Santos by more than 82,000 votes. It's not the mayor, Junpe, it must be you.
Supreme duty of a tail-ender is not to be caught in that forlorn and frightening place again. By the way, check out "tail end": it's also colloquial for "buttocks."
