On the matter of Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia’s candidacy for the Senate, perhaps the better question to ask is not whether she is really serious in her bid or not, or whether she is capable of winning or not.
Cebuanos are a proud people — proud of their place, their history, and fellow Cebuanos who, by being themselves, make us all a cut above the rest. What Cebuanos must therefore ask of themselves is whether or not they are proud enough to put another Cebuano in the Senate.
Right now Cebu has a senator in Serge Osmeña. But Serge seems more of a nominal Cebuano that anything else. Why, he never even bothered to campaign here in the last election and it is not clear if he has rubbed elbows with his fellow Cebuanos since his win in 2010.
This is not a pitch for Gwen, but if Cebu has to be represented in the Senate, let it be by a Cebuano who is neither shy nor ashamed to be identified as one, someone who makes it a point and the first order of business to push Cebu and the interest of Cebuanos up front.
And it is not an exaggeration to say that no one in recent memory has pushed Cebu with such untiring zeal and enthusiasm as Gwen has. The last time anyone made Cebu a buzzword was Lito Osmeña. But it is just unfortunate Cebuanos never rallied behind him for a national position.
We must not make the same mistake of dropping someone with the interest of Cebu at heart the way we did with Lito. What we should be as Cebuanos is that when a fellow Cebuano needs some wind behind his or her sail, we and no one else should provide him or her that wind.
Just look at how other people remain proud and true of what they are. Bongbong Marcos became a senator not because Filipinos have forgotten his father and martial law but because the Ilocanos and the Warays decided to stick it out with their fellow Ilocano/Waray.
In fact, it was in the same election that both Bongbong Marcos and Serge Osmeña won. Yet Bongbong, the son of you-know-who placed a very high at 7th while Serge, a victim of the same you-know-who, fared not so well, landing near the bottom at 10th.
Why? Because — and I repeat — the Ilocanos and the Warays held together and stuck with their own. Serge nearly failed to make the cut because the Cebuanos, who ironically make up one of the biggest voting populations in the country, opted to scatter and stray.
It is understandable, of course, for questions to be posed regarding the seriousness of Gwen and what her chances are. I think both are related. The seriousness of Gwen rises or falls proportionately with what she perceives to be her chances. We can, of course, sway those chances.
Okay, there are several reelectionist senators who, considering how politics goes in this country, are almost a cinch to get reelected, on account of that magic called name recall, if for nothing else. The same holds true with the comebacking former senators.
What that leaves is a small window of maybe three or four slots for newcomers like Gwen. That is a tight squeeze indeed and no wonder Gwen has taken some time considering her options. In fact she has kept some of them wide open.
But if Cebuanos can rally behind a fellow Cebuano in the same manner that the Ilocanos and the Warays did for Bongbong, then Gwen has more than just a fat chance of making it to the Senate.
All that Cebuanos need to do is cross party lines for that one slot in 12, or 13 in case the slot vacated when Noynoy Aquino became president needs to be filled. If Cebuanos vote for 11 along party preferences but reserve the last vote for a fellow Cebuano, then Gwen will win.
And that should be as good a test for Cebuanos as any, to see if we have it in ourselves to make a fellow Cebuano win. If we, at one time in our past, were responsible for making Gloria Arroyo win, if only because she speaks Cebuano well, why not make a real Cebuano win?