In two occasions, I wrote about an ideal scene that would give the Cebu City electorate the opportunity to know the candidates for local positions this coming election. Working under the premise that the intelligent exercise of the right of suffrage requires the voters to hear aspirants for elective posts espouse their thoughts on certain issues, I hoped that the candidates coming from the ruling group called the BOPK and the major opposition party, KUSUG, discuss matters of people's concern in public. My idea was to match up opposing bets argue on common topics. That will discern their philosophy, depth of ideas and capacity to carry on profound discussions. To set the event in motion, I even cited specific propositions and probable protagonists and wanted civic and other service clubs to pick up where I left off to organize the debates.
For a while, I thought that the scene I described as "an ideal" would remain just that - an ideal and as such it was difficult to concretize. Silence reverberated in the days that followed my articles. But, as resignation started to creep in, there came encouraging responses. Some groups signified interests to host the initial encounter of Atty. Edgardo Labella, from BOPK and Atty. Fritz Quinanola, of KUSUG as well as the proposed following match-ups of Hon. Augustus Pe, Jr., a city councilor desiring to be re-elected and Engr. Danilo Fernan and that of Atty. Sisinio Andales and Atty. Raymond Garcia.
To recall, I proposed that Hon. Labella should pick up the city ordinance passed by the city council in this 2007-2010 term that he is proud to acclaim as their best legislative output. He should defend its quality. Atty. Quinanola's task will be to prove that such ordinance is not deserving of the quality label. As regards the debate of Hon. Pe and Engr. Fernan, I suggested that the BOPK bet will try to show that this administration of His Honor, Mayor Tomas R. Osmena, has provided the basic services needed by the mountain barangays. The proposition for Atty. Andales and Atty. Garcia should focus on the issue that the Cebu City Medical Center has rendered good service to our residents.
Before the debates start to materialize, there is a need to identify the next personalities to discuss which public issues they concentrate on. This is important to give enough time to the discussants to prepare. Barangay Luz Captain Nida Cabrera of the ruling party should be matched-up against former Barangay Tinago Captain Joel Garganera. More than the rhymes that their names sound, Nida Cabrera-Joel Garganera, they seem to share common grounds. Capt. Cabrera publicized the award given to her barangay for a certain achievement while years ago, this was also the kind of award that Kagawad Garganera, then barangay captain, reaped. They should debate on the proposition that the present city administration has provided enough support to the barangays with Garganera taking the negative.
I do not know if candidate for city councilor Alvin Dizon, would admit, if asked by his present colleagues in the BOPK, that we had warm personal ties that dated years back. Whatever his present disposition be, I consider him a good friend. Mr. Dizon is among the top local leaders of Akbayan. In most, if not all, past mass actions orchestrated against the present administration of Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Akbayan, under the stewardship of Mr. Dizon, would march down the city streets. Consequently, there has developed the perception that Akbayan is left-leaning, if not an outright leftist organization. His counterpart in the opposition is Mr. Lemar Alcover, the son of Party-list Cong. Pastor "Jun" Alcover. Alvin and Lemar should debate on the topic that the leftist organizations in this country have been a helpful aid in running a good and democratic government with Lemar on the negative.
I really hope that the Rotarians will sponsor the Labella-Quinanola debate because both are Rotarians, if my information is correct. The Lions may organize the Andales-Garcia encounter while the Kiwanians hold the Cabrera-Garganera joust. Let us ask the Toastmasters to take care of the meet between Dizon and Alcover. Of course, these debates should be supported by the KBP so that they be given widest coverage and held in a large public place for people to flock to. Can we have it ASAP?