After the succeeding announcements of Jose Gullas and Alvin Garcia not to seek the mayorship of Cebu City, nothing stirred anymore on the local until it was floated that Lahug barangay captain Mary Ann de los Santos may do what Gullas and Garcia declined from doing.
And if that was not enough, it was reported that de los Santos was herself the one who brokered the reconciliation of the Ouano Family in nearby Mandaue City, particularly the settlement of the question as to which Ouano would run for mayor in that city.
Jonkie Ouano, a son of incumbent mayor Thadeo Ouano, announced his plans early of seeking to replace his dad, who is no longer eligible for another term. But his aunt, Joy, a sister of Thadeo, later made some noise about seeking the position herself.
Thadeo and Joy had been quarreling over family and political matters and the rift had threatened the candidacy of Jonkie. Until, of course, last Wednesday when, in a press conference at her own house, de los Santos, together with the Ouanos, announced the reconciliation.
As had been said at the outset, nothing is over until it is over. So we will have to wait and see until the certificates of candidacy have been filed before the end of the month. But the involvement of de los Santos says tons about the seeming certainty of the situation.
It should not be lost from this new development that it is not just the reconciliation of the Ouanos that could be involved here but the political situation in Cebu City as well. Osmeña and the Ouanos are, after all, at loggerheads themselves.
The entry of de los Santos into the picture is therefore no accident. Her responsibility in patching up the Ouanos, coupled with her own possible plans, could be part of a much grander plan that could potentially shake and reshape the political landscape in Metro Cebu.