Do political parties have contingency plans?

For our special presentation on our talkshow Straight from the Sky, once more we give you a discussion on the nation’s hottest issue, the Senate impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. Last week we also had the same topic except that our guest, Atty. Jonathan Capanas, Dean of the University of San Jose-Recoletos Law School talked about the legal issues pertaining to the impeachment trial and we learned from him that the Constitution still guarantees our individual rights, which is a good thing.

This time, we have on our show our friends from different persuasions who will give us their thoughts about the impeachment tria,l which is on its third week session. With us tonight are Dr. Billy Jaca, Mr. Paquito Unchuan and (Ret.)Col. Ceferino Layao. One thing I learned from this interview is their apprehension, that whether the trial would end either with a conviction or an acquittal, our guests expect some kind of trouble. So watch this very interesting show on Channel 15 at 8:00PM tonight and you can also watch it on My TV Channel 28 at 9:00PM with replays in this channel.

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That meeting with the One Cebu Party last Thursday caused a stir in Cebu that something was indeed agog. After all, the 2013 elections is fast approaching and everyone wants to get ready to do battle with their political opponents whoever they may be. Of course it is very easy to dismiss those nosy speculators that the meeting was not really a “show of force” or a unity call, but rather it was a meeting of common programs or projects, that’s if Rep. Pablo John is to be believed.

Many pundits are already speculating about the possibility that Vice-Governor Agnes Magpale, whom we already know has been courted by the Liberal Party, would get her Bakud Party away from the One Cebu Party. But this is mere speculation. Months back, I already told Vice-Gov. Magpale that she ought to run for Governor. Though she didn’t gave me any answer, I find that the Liberal Party’s recruiting her to run for the same position is an insult to her. Why should she run as Jun Jun Davide’s Vice-Governor when she has done a great service to the Province of Cebu, while Jun Jun Davide hasn’t done anything except run against Gov. Gwen?

Anyway, I hope that the One Cebu Party meeting discussed a more important issue … what should we in Cebu do if and when there’s trouble in Metro Manila as a result of the impeachment trial? As I already pointed out, people expect trouble regardless if it would end in a conviction or in an acquittal. We all know that the leftists and communists have already announced that they would never accept defeat (meaning an acquittal of CJ Corona), which means there will be trouble in the streets. Let’s just hope that the One Cebu Party has come up with some contingency plans.

Meanwhile in Cebu City politics, finally the news that we’ve already known a long time ago is out … that Rep. Tomas Osmeña will run again for Mayor against Mayor Michael Rama in the 2013 elections. Now whether who will be victorious in that Battle Royale we cannot predict. But if the BO-PK wants to get back political power for Rep. Tomas, the BO-PK controlled City Council must increase the budget for the basic needs of their constituents. If our garbage trucks cannot run because of lack of spares and our City Health Department has no money, this will boomerang back to the BO-PK in the coming elections.

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While the political battles have not yet begun, there is now an on-going battle for the leadership over the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP). I learned of this from reports sent via email, first of all that our good friend, TUCP President Democrito “Kito” Mendoza resigned as President and that former Senator Ernesto “Boy” Herrera had taken over his place as head of the country’s largest labor group.

Then another email came that said that Boy Herrera grabbed power and was getting rid of the two sons of Kito Mendoza, Michael and Rep. Raymond Mendoza. In fact, TUCP was supposed to write to Speaker of the House of Representatives Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte, Jr. that the TUCP was removing Raymond as their Partylist Representative because it was the TUCP that won that seat for him.

We’ve long ago speculated that there would be trouble in the Mendoza family if and when Kito Mendoza kicks the bucket. But he is still alive and kicking and it is already happening to the labor union that he nurtured and ran for many decades. We’re not taking sides in this issue, but rather we just want to ensure that the interest of their member/workers would be assured. After all, they are the very reason why ALU-TUCP was organized.

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