EDITORIAL - The job the mayor is leaving behind

Outgoing Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has described his sister Georgia as having had no track record of serving the Cebuanos. He also went on to accuse Georgia, who has made known her intention to run for mayor, of merely capitalizing on his sickness (bladder cancer).

The first swipe at Georgia is true but understandable. She never served because she never held office. The second is probably untrue and thus unfair. The sickness of Tomas was unforeseen. What is certain is, by his leaving, the mayorship is open to any takers, including his sister.

This is not in defense of Georgia, who can very well defend herself. It is just funny for Mayor Osmeña to come out assailing his private citizen sister for having done nothing when he himself, for all the years he has been in office, has scant little to show for his time.

Except for the SRP, there is hardly any legacy the mayor can leave Cebuanos to make them remember his multiple terms as mayor. But even the SRP is not his alone because it is being paid for by the taxes of the Cebuanos. Osmeña's only participation in SRP is to broker the deal.

A romp through the second most important city in the country is not likely to sustain the pomposity of that claim. On the contrary, the bumpy, filthy, vendor-cramped, easily-flooded, and gangster-ruled streets all point to creeping, unrestrained urban blight he failed to address.

Nothing has been done under his watch to clean up his own backyard. Instead, the outgoing mayor spent so much time kibitzing and picking fights with his neighbors. If there is anything to highlight his tenure, it is the lack of shortage for talk.

The platform for his governance is his daily press conferences. It is from these media events that he provides the semblance of leadership, of ruling the city. Sadly, the reality outside his office is stark and unforgiving, incapable of being glossed over by semblances.

Osmeña is running for a different office this time. Maybe the demands of Congress will be more attuned to his leadership style. But the city he leaves behind will be hostile to whoever succeeds him, hostile in the sense that neglect can have vicious and harsh aftermaths.

Aside from his supposed anointed one, Mike Rama, and sister Georgia, there are other possible takers for a job not carved out for the weak of heart. There is probably Winston Garcia, Sonny Osmeña, and just as probably Atan Guardo. We can only wish them luck. They need it.