EDITORIAL - Osmeña must face health issue squarely

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who is running for Congress in the south district, has denied rumors, circulated by text a few days ago, that he collapsed — his second during his incumbency — due to some unspecified health reasons.

In denying the rumors, Osmeña said he was elated by the development because it supposedly showed the desperation of his political rivals. Good if it were only that. But as Osmeña himself knows but would not care to admit, he is not the authority on his own health.

It is not upon his mere say-so that the public can be appraised of his health. They need to hear from experts in order to get a clear picture of the man who is asking them to trust with their aspirations. Submitting to a medical and baring the results is a fair enough demand.

Because it is natural for the atmosphere to be obfuscated by intrigues and mud-slinging, very valid issues such as the health of a candidate tend to be overlooked, perhaps to the glee of those who do not want their true physical conditions to be known.

But precisely because candidates seek to represent people and carry out their aspirations over a period of time, the more it is necessary for them to prove they are healthy enough to do just that.

For it frustrates the will of people and betrays their trust if one cannot finish the job he is mandated to do, for reasons foremost of which could be ill health. Hence health assurance should always be part of any contractual obligation, like that between voter and candidate.

Osmeña cannot simply wave away the demand for him to disclose the state of his health as determined by experts as mere intrigue or politicking. It is a valid demand arising from a valid issue. Especially since he has been diagnosed with and treated for cancer of the bladder.

The mayor suspects his rival Atan Guardo is the push behind this issue. That is natural. But the truth or falsity of his suspicion is not the point. People have the right to be satisfied by perceptions that the ship bearing their cargo can safely reach the intended destination.

Guardo simply happens to be his convenient scapegoat, being his present rival. But it could be somebody else. A legitimate issue, after all, chooses no promoter. Besides, Guardo has a valid claim to health matters, wellness being already his business before he entered politics.