The mayor is not LP's bet

The visit of His Excellency, President Benigno C. Aquino, III, for the ostensible purpose of attending the wake of a dear departed party mate highlights the political importance Malacanang attaches to Cebu. The late Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez was the highest ranked government official in the province belonging to the Liberal party and the respect shown by no less than the party titular head, who happens to the president of the republic, was, by all appearances, a recognition by the party leadership of the value of the province’s known vote getters.

When Atty. Hilario Davide III, Liberal Party’s losing gubernatorial candidate in the 2010 elections, walked side by side with the Pres. Aquino, the party gave incontrovertible signal on who will its standard bearer be for governor in the 2013 polls. After all, Atty Davide III, put up that kind of a contest against a perceived runaway winner in Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia not many among us entertained as feasible. Well, it truly is too early to assume that with certainty, but the more astute political observers in our midst will not dispute that assumption.

What about Cebu City? His Honor, Mayor Michael Rama does not enjoy the same degree of assurance of being anointed as the Liberal party bet in the city Atty. Davide has for the province. The mayor, running then under the BOPK banner, might have aligned with the LP, but he did not call the shots. It was not his decision to carry and work for the candidacy of Pres. Aquino. The honorable Cebu South District Congressman Tomas R. Osmena, former mayor, literally issued the decree that marshaled the BOPK’s support for P-Noy. Then vice mayor Rama only helped implement the order.

History either is not on the side of Mayor Rama. Recognized as one of party strengths is loyalty of its members. The LP hierarchy always looks with favor upon those who have stuck to the party, in good and in bad times, the latter especially. To such venerable leaders as Dr. Jovito Salonga, this is almost doctrinal. Flirtation with other political groups is to him, unacceptable opportunism. Unfortunately, Mayor Rama cannot draw a line to connect him to the Liberal Party. To be honest, I doubt if he is an LP card bearing member.

On the other hand, the father of Rep. Osmena, the late former Sen. Sergio Osmena, Jr., Serging to many, was the main party post in Cebu. He was among those LP leaders who spilt blood in the Plaza Miranda tragedy. Serging indeed, was the last Liberal party candidate for president before Pres. Aquino, who contested closely for the position. Others like Sen. Salonga, at a later time, were simply over run.

Differently said, the LP will read its past history to determine its future official candidates.

So, even if it is in the mind of Mayor Rama, to run for re-election under the Liberal Party, that cannot happen for as long as he does not get the backing of Rep. Osmena. And by all present indications, these two are going separate ways. Sooner than later, the city mayor will be isolated from the BOPK. No, he will not be expelled under any rule because the BOPK, not being a duly organized party, has no written rules. But, he will not asked to attend any of its functions.

It does not evade our observation that Vice Mayor Joy Young has, as early as the first few months into their administration, already started sniping at our mayor. No one so doubts the loyalty of the vice mayor to the former Mayor Osmena, that calling him a lackey is not very far from the truth.

The city councilors, without exception, I suppose, toe their only political line to Rep. Osmena. I expect that by their collective action, they will soon put Mayor Rama’s projects on hold and make him totally helpless. With such helplessness, Mayor Rama has no political base with which to persuade the Liberal Party to make him standard barer in 2013. What a pity!