EDITORIAL - Political suicide

From Dumanjug in the second district, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is now a registered voter of Barili in the third district.  Last Thursday, she made good of her promise to transfer her voter’s registration by rushing to the Commission on Elections office in Barili, a move that spawned controversy as to what position she is really running for in the next election.

Garcia earlier declared her decision to run for the Senate. Since the law barred her from seeking reelection, she trained her eyes on the national position, succumbing to the invitation of Vice President Jejomar Binay to run under his party.

But it seems the buzz over the transfer of her registration refuses to die.

Many still speculate it was aimed at giving her an option to run for Congress in the third district in case she does not fare well in national surveys.

Her decision to run for senator leaves no family member running for Congress in the third district. But it also opens the door for other members of One Cebu party to seize the opportunity pushing for their congressional aspirations.

In fact, there’s now a Facebook page created to promote Provincial Board Member Alex Binghay’s congressional bid. Binghay said he is open to the idea of replacing Rep. Pablo John Garcia, who is running for governor to replace sister Gwen. But that depends on the party’s decision.

But Binghay has to wait. The party still has months to decide on who it will field. For many observers, however, it will not really be the board member.

As the public sees it, there is only one reason why Gov. Garcia transferred her voter’s registration to the third district. And that is for her to run for Congress because there is no way for her to capture a Senate seat even if she has the backing of the country’s most trusted politician.

Besides, One Cebu has no winnable candidate to replace Pablo John except for the governor.  Gov. Garcia can easily win a seat in the House of Representatives than in the Senate if we are to base her dismal showing in national surveys.

Although it created a stir, her transfer of registration is a smart move. After all, instinct would dictate her that embarking on a Senate run is a political suicide.