In the May 14, 2007 elections, the mayor had a goal, which was to defeat Mary Ann de los Santos, the Lahug barangay captain who ran against him, in her precinct.
Not only did Osmeña lose in that precinct, he stumbled in the entire barangay.
Knowing his nature, it is highly probable that the mayor’s obsession now is to pry away Barangay Lahug from de los Santos’ vise-like grip.
His order to halt the construction of a P15-million schoolbuilding in the Lahug Elementary School was therefore not knee-jerk or sparked by hurt but part of strategy.
One can sense that in the direction his supporters are bringing the debate that followed the controversy: Mary Ann is to blame, replace her and things will be fine.
Talisay and Lahug
There is, therefore, something of a Talisay City in Lahug.
Remember Osmeña’s offensives against that neighboring city when the controversy over the ownership of portions of the South Road Properties erupted?
He closed the Cebu City portion of the South Coastal Road, which passes Talisay, then kicked out Talisay residents making a living in Cebu City’s markets and City Hall.
The mayor’s hope then was that with these actions, Talisay residents would blame Rep. Eduardo Gullas enough to vote against his man, Talisay Mayor Socrates Fernandez.
Cebu City Councilor Gabriel Leyson would later run against Fernandez.
Of course, Leyson lost miserably, probably because voters not only preferred Fernandez but also hated Osmeña and saw in the councilor his shadow.
Mary Ann’s play
So will Tom O finally find success in the same strategy by applying it on Lahug?
That depends on de los Santos and eventually Lahug residents.
Unfortunately for the mayor, he seems to be up against a wily opponent who reacted with a good counter of her own, the “piso mo, eskwelahan ko” fund campaign.
Every peso contributed in that campaign is a dig at the destructive effect of Osmeña’s latest perceived “vindictive” act.
In the end, it could be Mary Ann more than the mayor who will benefit from this controversy.
