EDITORIAL - The anointed one

 At this moment, One Cebu is still hesitant to reveal its bet for governor in next year’s election. No one from its officials is divulging the identity of their candidate. And Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, the local party’s head, seems careful in announcing to the media about who will be their standard bearer.

She would only explain that things are shaping up and that they are now seriously discussing the possible candidate, who has “competence, capability, winnability and who can assure the sustainability of our existing programs.” But she stopped short of naming that person.

Speculations are rife that Garcia’s daughter will be the anointed one. But lawyer Ma. Esperanza Christina Frasco is as clever as her mother. Christina, a wife of a town mayor, does not want the public to believe the governor is referring to her, saying only that she is “flattered and humbled” if the people think she is the one.

Some quarters would like to believe it is the patriarch himself who is set for another run for the Capitol, but it remains to be seen whether second district Representative Pablo Garcia, given his age, still has what it takes to overcome the rigors of launching a province-wide campaign.

And then here’s third district Rep. Pablo John Garcia whom many see will replace his sister. A brilliant lawyer like his father, there’s no doubt PJ is more than capable of governing the province. But with former senator John Osmeña making waves in his campaign to ‘retake’ the district, it seems PJ wants to try another run for Congress.

Now all speculations boil down to Christina because Winston and Byron are clearly out of the picture. It would be a losing effort pushing any of the two as the next governor. It’s not that Winston is not winnable. He is a lawyer and once a board member. As for Byron, no amount of sprucing up would elevate his image. His chance of winning still lingers at zero percent. 

Unless of course the party would break the unwritten rules of a Garcia candidacy and decide to field an ‘outsider,’ all roads will lead to Christina as the anointed one.