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For the longest time, Don Ramon Durano was the unquestioned kingpin of Cebu's northeastern constituency. This was the area that caused the debacle of Serging Osmeña’s unlamented defeat to Ferdinand Marcos in 1969. For an Osmeña to lose in Cebu Province was the biggest injury that the Duranos ever inflicted on the Osmeñas. Today, this kingdom is now under the Duke of Liloan, Duke Frasco, the favorite son-in-law of the dragon governor, queen of the Capitol. But Red Durano has mounted a strong attack to reclaim the kingdom of his grandfather.

The 5th District (formerly the 1st District before 1987) is composed of Danao City, the seat of the Durano Empire, and 10 towns; Compostela, Liloan, Carmen, Catmon, Borbon, and Sogod, and the island towns of Pilar, Poro, San Francisco, and Tudela. It has a total land area of 814.15 square kilometers (almost double the area of the 4th District, and also bigger than the first, second, seventh districts). It is much smaller however than the 3rd District, the biggest in Cebu at 1,159.34 sq. km.

The 5th District has a total of 190 barangays and a 2015 population of 558,848, (now estimated to reach 650,000) and 349,470 voters (must be 370,000 now). Its poverty incidence is 26.97% and its per capita income is ?2,870. Thus, more than one fourth of its population lives below the poverty line. The traditional politicians in this district must accept the blame for not being able to uplift the living conditions of the poor, while many of them have been living comfortably and in the style of the rich and the famous. This district had been controlled by the Duranos for the longest time. They need to explain what they have done to alleviate this socio-economic condition of the hoi polloi.

This district was represented in Congress by Celestino Rodriguez (1907-1912, two terms), Gervacio Padilla (1912-16, one term), Jose Hernaez (1916-1919, one term), Manuel Briones (1919-1931, four terms), Buenaventura Rodriguez (1931-34, one term), Tereso Dosdos (1934-1935, one term), Celestino Rodriguez (1945), Jovenal Almendras (1946-1949, one term), Ramon Durano (1949- 1972, six terms, there was no term limit then). In 1972, Congress was replaced by the unicameral Batasan Pambansa.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the old 1st District became the fifth and was represented all the time by a Durano, except only the incumbent, as follows: Ramon Duterte Durano III (1987-1998, three terms), Ace Durano (1998-2004, two terms), Ramon Durano VI (2004-2013, three terms), Ace Durano (2013-2016, one term), Ramon Durano VI (2016-2019) and, all of a sudden, unexpectedly, the Duranos were shaken, that Duke Frasco won in 2019 convincingly, and is now seeking reelection. If the poverty incidence in this district is still high, then the Duranos should explain why. Don Ramon Durano represented and led it from 1946 to 1972 or for 26 years uninterrupted, and his sons and grandsons from 1987 to 2019 or for a period of 32 years. Thus the Durano Dynasty was on top of this district for a combined period of 58 years, almost six decades.

The Duranos, therefore, should accept both the accolades for all the improvements, and the blame for too much poverty among one fourth of the district's population. What laws have they passed to alleviate the conditions of their constituencies? As between their 58 years and Duke Frasco's three years, which has impacted more on the peoples' struggles for liberation from penury? This question is even more compelling now given the coronavirus and Odette’s devastation. The people will soon make the decision by choosing between a Durano and a Frasco. And what matters most: Who can better serve the people.