When the late movie comedian Dolphy was asked about the possibility of running for a government post, the answer attributed to him became classic: winning is easy, but after doing so, what would he do — or words to that effect.
Indeed, Pam Baricuatro winning the gubernatorial election in Cebu over longtime governor Gwendolyn Garcia came easy. But for political observers, the signs already could be seen during the campaign, so the result was not totally unexpected. The voters in the province apparently wanted change and change they did get. But for now, that change would still be physical because Baricuatro can only assume office after June 30 if the result of the last election were to be followed. After that, your guess on what will happen would be as good as mine.
What Baricuatro should realize is that all eyes would be on her for the next three years. What she would do or wouldn’t be able to do will determine if her rule would last for as long as that of Gwen. Which reminds me of another not-so-politically-inclined governor of long ago in the late Vicente “Tingting” dela Serna. Dela Serna’s rule eventually paved the way for the late Pablo Garcia and the rise of the Garcia political clan in Cebu. Will Baricuatro end up like Tingting?
I was a Capitol beat reporter when Tingting became governor. Unlike Baricuatro, Tingting was a lawyer and was therefore more knowledgeable as far as politics and running the government bureaucracy were concerned. Baricuatro is, by all intents and purposes, a newbie and therefore needs advisers to guide her — advisers whose only intention is for her to succeed. For now, Baricuatro is calling herself “the people’s governor,” which I would say sums up the intention of her brand of governance. But would she be able to live up to that promise? If she does not, then this would be a short stint for her.
There are a number of reasons why Pam won over a grizzled political veteran and finding those reasons should be number one in her agenda. The first thing that she should do, of course, is to move away from the “dancing Pam” routine that now litters social media and which could have helped her win the elections. She should now show her “serious” side because that is apparently what the provincial voters want to see from her in the next three years. The goal is to show the people that she seriously wants to effect change in the running of the Provincial Government.
On this, I take it that she does not lack advisers who are politically grizzled veterans and who can immediately point out her failings if these appear. What the provincial voters really want is not a “dancing governor” but a governor who can make their lives better. There are many basic services that the new governor can focus on, like infrastructure, medical services, pump-priming tourism and many others.
If Baricuatro can make the lives of the people in the province better, then she can well be called a true “people’s governor.” If not, then hers would be a short stint, indeed.