Pam Baricuatro is now serving as Cebu governor but there are now people who say she may not last long in power, meaning she may serve only for one term. The camp of former governor Gwendolyn Garcia apparently sees her defeat as a one-off and are now looking for issues to throw at Pam in the coming polls. But coming up with issues is always difficult, especially for a new governor because issues do not surface immediately even in three years, which is the first term in a three-term cycle. On the other hand, three years may not be enough to rebuild the image of a defeated candidate. Even until now, Gwen’s image is still bad for those who did not vote for her. It looks like the Garcia camp will have to look for a new candidate to battle Pam. At least one personality has surfaced so far: former congressman Pablo John Garcia, Gwen’s brother.
Pam, however, did not just defeat Gwen. She ended the Garcias’ hold on provincial politics. Even if Pablo John runs instead of Gwen, he will still be seen as a clan representative and could not dissociate himself from his sister. Besides, Pablo John has long been tied to a very limited part of the province: the third district. To win the province, he needs the support of the other political “kingpins” of each of the other districts.
One of the issues thrown at Baricuatro was her transfer of allegiance from the Dutertes to President Bongbong Marcos. The idea was that she would not have won against Gwen without the support of the Diehard Duterte Supporters or DDS. But this argument does not consider the fact that when Pam ran, Gwen’s popularity had plummeted so that any other candidate had the chance of defeating her. The DDS support may have helped but it was not the only factor for Baricuatro’s win.
But here’s an interesting part in her governorship. When she took over, an earthquake hit the 4th district. Then US President Donald Trump started a war against Iran whose effect is being felt by many countries around the globe including the Philippines, particularly Cebu. Thus, Baricuatro’s leadership of the province was first tested by a natural calamity and now by a man-made calamity. It would be interesting to find out then how the Provincial Government is faring with the crisis that the country has been facing.
But should Gwen speak out or should she stay silent at the way Barcuatro is handling the man-made crisis we are in? A part of me actually wants to hear her opinion on the crisis we are facing but a part of me also wants her to not stir the pot, sort of. I still have to hear complaints or protests about our situation and it would not look good if we stir the pot and sow confusion. The most that I can ask is for us to pray that world leaders will start the de-escalation process and push for a return to normal times.
I agree with the saying that in a war there are no winners. This war may not be bloody in terms of ground troops fighting each other but its effect on our lives can already be felt. With the prices of oil products continuing to rise, uncertainty is clouding our vision.