Barring any glitches, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and south district Representative Tomas Osmeña will be the main protagonists in the battle for the mayoralty position in the next election. Although the polls are still a year away, their political campaign seems to have started.
Since last Monday, Cebuanos had taken a glimpse of what might they expect in the run up to the May 2013 election when Rama and Osmeña traded barbs over a land dispute in Barangay Apas.
In their rush to help the residents of sitio San Miguel from an impending demolition, the two clearly determined to score pogi points. But it’s not yet clear as to who has the advantage this early.
Neither of the two presented a clear initiative for the affected residents only that both are successful in preventing the demolition. Except for showing sympathy for the sitio folk, neither Rama nor Osmeña presented a concrete solution to the problem, which is now under the court’s jurisdiction.
Yes, siding with the affected settlers in a dash to gain the upper hand in the fight for the City Hall’s top post was the right move. It was a natural thing to do, an opportunity worth taking advantage of.
While their help greatly benefited the San Miguel folk, we still do not know which side those residents will support come election day. It’s hard to say Rama clearly was the favorite among Apas residents because he openly supported the Ciudad project, not to mention his closeness with the barangay captain.
Osmeña also has his own share of political supporters in the barangay and neighboring areas. The lawmaker’s Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan still maintains a solid base in the north district where almost all representatives to the City Council are BOPK members.
This recent development is just the first salvo of a heated rivalry between the former allies. There will be more mudslinging as Rama and Osmeña – scions of two great political families – position themselves for a decisive battle that will determine their political fate.
As we see it, their latest fiery exchange only signals a nasty mayoralty race.