THE planned PDP-Laban mass oath-taking at the SRP grounds on November 17 in Cebu City is obviously a move with the 2019 elections in mind.
Based on information I gathered, a maximum of 100,000 (with a minimum of 30,000) will be mobilized for the activity with the help of local officials who had joined the administration party after the electoral victory of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte last year.
Of course, it will be a mix of former Liberals and members of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). I have not heard of movements from former supporters of Grace Poe.
It would be interesting to see if the PDP-Laban leadership can iron out such kinks like the one hounding the camps of Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing and Lolypop Ouano-Dizon. Another flashpoint would be that one involving One Cebu and Tuburan Mayor Aljun Diamante.
In Cebu City, part of Team Rama led by Vice Mayor Edgar Labella along with all its barangay captains have joined PDP-Laban. They left out former mayor Mike Rama, who was named twice by President Rodrigo Duterte as a drug lord protector, and Duterte critic Councilor Jun Alcover.
Can the PDP-Laban leadership prevent the former mayor from making his presence felt during the mass oath-taking? For instance, he might want to play Citom again or even take his oath as a PDP-Laban member. Hmmm.
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Showing political muscle now, nevertheless, could show Duterte detractors that the President continues to enjoy popular support. I just hope that those who will attend the mass oath-taking will not be part of a hakot crowd.
The Lihok Suporta of the Kilusang Pagbabago last month had shown that mobilizing Duterte supporters along with the BYOP (bring-your-own pagkaon, plete, payong) call is possible.
Mobilizing from the Team Rama strongholds in the drug-infested PDEA area (Pasil-Duljo-Ermita-A. Lopez) might also be misinterpreted, especially because their leader had been repeatedly tagged by the president as a drug lord protector.
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Still, isn’t preparing the administration party now for 2019 premature? There is still the fight for federalism with the plebiscite expected to happen in May 2018.
The federalism project needs the broad support of all pro-administration allies that include the non-political mass movements and allied political parties like the Nacionalista Party (NP) and Bakkud.
The Nacionalistas here in Cebu, which is the Alayon of Eddiegul and Cong. Samsam, and the local political party Bakkud in the 5th district are more into the federalism project.
The way I see it, the federalism project will unite the broad pro-Duterte movement. The 2019 political project should therefore take a backseat for now.