If Soco plays his cards well

Cebu Vice Governor Glenn Soco is in the crossroads of his political career. He can either push forward his chances to ascend higher in the political totem pole in 2028, or he can drop the ball and bungle his job as the number two executive in this population-rich and financially-strong premier province. The answer is in his own hands.

If Soco remains beholden to Gwen Garcia in the name of "utang kabubut-on" or "kaikog" then he will be bound to fall into the abyss of political limbo together with the former governor. The Cebuanos will punish him in the next elections if he becomes an obnoxious obstructionist, and destructive critic of the administration of Governor Pam Baricuatro. If Soco allows himself to be used by the former governor in order to throw monkey wrenches into all the Baricuatro initiatives, then, he better say goodbye to politics as early as now.

On the other hand, if Vice Governor Soco stands up as an independent and conscientious head of the provincial legislative department, if he is principle-based in his moves and decisions, and if he acts professionally in his interactions with the governor and her team, then his political star is bound to rise to catapult to meteoric heights. The people of Cebu, based on the results in the last polls, have grown wiser and bolder. Glenn Soco is young and promising. He can rise and can even be more winnable than Gwen Garcia herself in 2028.

Glenn Anthony Ocampo Sotto has a very pleasing personality and is untarnished by any unsavory record of graft or corruption. He has a beautiful family, a pretty wife and good-looking, healthy children. He moves gracefully and can even dance with an easy air of suave flawlessness. His political trajectory as of the moment is definitely and consistently pointing upward, with many things going for him. If he plays his cards so well, he can even become a congressman or a governor.

But then again, if he plays rough with the new governor, if he deteriorates into a trapo like many of the older politicians in Cebu, if he allows himself to become a pawn in the games of the titans in Cebu politics, then, he should start saying goodbye to the Capitol and go back to his manpower and other businesses. If he does not assert his independence and remains a party diehard in any and all issues, then he shall start to self-destruct.

If the vice governor has read the political handwriting on the wall, as evidenced by the last May 12 polls, he should be able to discern that more and more voters are Millennials and Gen Zs. These younger voters are very independent, well-informed and quite discerning in their choices. The sectors that caused Pam Baricuatro to win were those belonging to the younger generation. And they are closely watching Glenn Soco. These are the same people who would support or expose him in 2028.

The young and idealistic voters are closely watching the Provincial Board. If and when the Garcia-aligned board members would try to impede, delay, block, or sabotage the Baricuatro's priority initiatives especially on healthcare and on honest and transparent governance, they would also be sabotaging their own political careers. The people of Cebu have already opened their eyes to the realities in Cebu and national political dynamics. Any wrong move on the part of the board members, under Soco's leadership, could be their own tipping points.

But if, as I said, Glenn Soco plays his cards well, then we have a new promising meteor rising to the heights of the political firmament. And that could be good news for all of us.