Imee, Nancy, Harry, and Bato

Saturday afternoon, January 26, was surprisingly traffic-easy in a Cebu City that seems to try very hard to play catch-up with Metro Manila's infamous gridlocks. Propitious, therefore, for the 4 p.m. blessing and inauguration of Cokaliong Shipping Lines' 13th and newest ship, the MV Filipinas Cagayan de Oro to which were invited many important and influential people.

Among the personalities invited to cut the ceremonial ribbon were Senator Nancy Binay, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, former presidential spokesman Harry Roque, and former Philippine National Police chief Ronald "Bato" de la Rosa. All four are running for the Senate in this year's midterm election in May.

The first to arrive, many minutes before the scheduled event, was Imee. Then came Nancy, also ahead of schedule. Being a little more low-key than the previously-named personalities, I frankly did not notice the arrival of Harry. I just suddenly sort of saw him already pumping flesh among the crowd. So let me just say that he, too, came on time.

But where was Bato? The word that kept being passed back and forth among the crowd was that he was still somewhere in some urban barangay, presumably attending to what can only be an election-related activity. Nothing wrong with that, he being a candidate, except that he had a scheduled event in which he was a guest of honor.

I instinctively searched out CSL president, CEO and COO Chester Cokaliong and found him with his phone glued to his ear. I would search him out again and again and never found him without that phone on the ear. One thing I personally know about Cokaliong is that he is a stickler for punctuality. If you are an invited guest, he would call to check if you are on the way.

Yet, another thing I personally know about the man is that he is a very gracious host. Other people of similar power and influence would not have suffered on account of one man and graciously bear any delay that sends awry the meticulous preparation that went into the event. They would have told themselves "what the heck" and gone ahead according to schedule.

But not Cokaliong. He was not going to embarrass Bato in front of everybody. So Cokaliong waited. And so did everybody else --Imee, Nancy, and Harry, other government officials, company owners, business leaders, even the monsignor who was to officiate the blessing.

Finally, Bato arrived for the 4 p.m. event. I checked the time. It was 4:41 p.m. The activities quickly proceeded. The great food swiftly made everybody forget the long wait. No real harm done. Cokaliong will move on and continue to grow his fleet. If there was any real loser that day, it was Bato. God knows how many influential people who could have helped he disappointed.