Why has Cebu lost its political grandeur?

In today's national political arena, the glory that was Cebu is now a thing of the past. There is no Cebuano leader nowadays who has the stature to command national attention. What we have, and I say this with respect and regret, are political pygmies, shadowy characters and pure opportunists who cannot hold a candle to the great names of Osmeña, Cuenco, Rama, Briones, Durano, Kintanar and Gullas.

We can only recall with nostalgia and poignant reminiscence, the grandeur that was Cebu. The Philippine politics, since the glorious times of Manuel Quezon and Sergio Osmeña Sr, was never complete without the participation of Cebu. From the Commonwealth to the Philippine Republic, and even immediately before the declaration of Martial Law, Cebuano leaders were always in the forefront of national leadership. Today, no Cebuano leader is in the Palace, in the Senate and the ones in the House are, with due respect, mere underlings and subalterns.

Today, there is no single Cebuano in the Senate, while there are two half-brothers, Jinggoy and JV, representing the tiniest city of San Juan, whose population is smaller than Barangay Guadalupe in Cebu City. Not one of the members of the House representing the seven districts from Cebu province and the four districts of Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue has the stature to be considered senatoriable. The small city of Las Piñas, whose population is even smaller than Cebu City north district, has a brother and a sister in the Senate. The five million Cebuanos have no representation in the Upper Chamber.

There is no Cebuano among the fifteen Justices of the Supreme Court. There is no legal luminary from our noble province who has attained the level of judicial excellence achieved by the great Justice Manuel Briones who was Associate Justice from 1945 to 1949, Justice Pedro Yap who was Associate Justice from 1986 to 1988. Marcelo Briones Fernan was Associate Justice from 1986 to 1991. He left the SC as Chief Justice. Hilario Gilbolingo Davide Jr was Associate Justice from 1991 to 1998. He also retired as Chief Justice. Regino Hermosisima was Associate Justice from 1995 to 1997. Today, we do not see anyone being considered for the highest court of the land.

Under the 4th and the 5th Legislature from 1916 to 1922, with Manuel Quezon as Senate President or SP, the senators from Cebu were Celestino Rodriguez and Filemon Sotto. In the 6th Legislature, from 1922 to 1925, still with Quezon as SP, the two senators from Cebu were Sergio Osmeña Sr and Celestino Rodriguez. Osmeña was elected President Pro Tempore. He came from the House and was Speaker for many terms from his first election up to the last. In the 7th and 8th Legislature from 1925 to 1931, with Quezon as SP and Osmeña as Pro Temp, Cebu was represented by Osmeña and Pedro Rodriguez.

In the 9th and 10th Legislature, from 1931 to 1935, still with Quezon as SP, Cebu was represented by Osmeña and Manuel Briones. Osmeña was Pro Temp in the 9th but he was replaced by Bohol's Manuel Clarin in the 10th. Under the Commonwealth, from 1942 to 1946, senators were elected at large. Mariano Jesus Cuenco and Vicente Rama were elected. Under the Philippine Republic, in the First Congress, from 1946 to 1949, with Samar's Jose Avelino as Senate President, the Cebuano senators were Mariano Jesus Cuenco and Vicente Sotto. In the 2nd Congress from 1950 to 1953 with our own Mariano Jesus Cuenco as SP, the other senator from Cebu was Manuel Briones.

In the 3rd Congress our Senator Manuel Briones was Pro Temp, the other senator was Mariano Jesus Cuenco. In the 4th Congress from 1958 to 1961, the lone senator from Cebu was Mariano Jesus Cuenco. In the 5th Congress, from 1962 to 1965, the two senators from Cebu were Mariano Jesus Cuenco and Alejandro Almendras who already migrated to Davao. In the 6th Congress, the senators from Cebu were Serging Osmeña and Almendras. In the 7th Congress, from 1970 to 1973, Cebu was represented by three senators: Serging Osmeña, Sonny Osmeña and Rene Espina. But the Senate was abolished by Marcos from 1973 to 1986 under Martial Law.

From 1987 to 1992 and from 1992 to 1995 respectively, Cebu had Sonny Osmeña and Ernesto Herrera. In the 10th Congress, from 1995 to 1998, the senators from Cebu were Marcelo Fernan, Ernesto Herrera and Serge Osmeña. The 11th Congress from 1998 to 2001 Cebu was represented by Serge Osmeña alone. In the 12th, from 2001 to 2004 the Cebu senators were Sonny and Serge Osmeña. The 13th from 2004 to 2007, Cebu was represented by Serge Osmeña alone. On the 14th, from 2007 to 2010, there was no senator from Cebu. In the 15th Congress, from 2010 to 2013, Serge Osmeña was our only senator. On the 16th from 2013 to 2016, Serge Osmeña was in the Senate.

The 17th Congress had no senator from Cebu. In the 18th, from 2019 to 2022, Cebu had zero representation. The nineteenth and the twentieth had none. Until now, there is none. There is no general in the Armed Forces today who comes from Cebu. There is no cardinal in the Holy Catholic Apostolic Church from our province. There is no leading actor or actress or singing icon at par with Pilita Corales, except perhaps Dulce of national fame. There is no Ambassador from Cebu. This is the longest political drought in all history.

Cebuano politicians today do not have the great vision of Don Sergio, do not have the political acumen of the famous Sotto brothers, Don Filemon and Don Vicente and alas, they are not imbued with the nationalism of Don Vicente Rama or the eloquence and parliamentary prowess of Don Mariano Jesus Cuenco. No one is astute as Don Ramon Durano or the political muscles of Isidro Kintanar, Manuel Zosa or Tereso Dumon. Today's trapos are palpably only in politics for the perks and the privileges. They are not nationalists, much less visionaries. I can only hope that the younger generations shall surprise us with a new hope for Cebu.

Perhaps the millennials and the Gen Z's have some hidden and emerging potential for national leadership. The baby boomers are almost gone and men and women of Gen X and Gen Y are too busy surviving in these critical times. We should nurture another Don Sergio, Don Mariano Jesus, Celing Fernan and Jun Davide. Or else, Cebu will just fade away into the footnotes of Philippine history. Sad.