Quo Vadis, Cebu politics?

There was a Congress when three senators from Cebu dominated the debates, deliberations and decision-making, Sonny, Serge and Boy Herrera. Sonny was the eloquent expert in political matters, Serge, the master of economics, finance, agriculture and trade, and Boy on labor, social and cultural issues. Today, there is no Cebuano in the Senate and the House members from Cebu are notoriously meek as lambs and never even say a word of eloquence and wit.

I miss those years when three Cebuanos dominated the Senate and the House and even the presidential palace. I miss the Cebuano political titans like Don Sergio Osmeña, Don Mariano Jesus Cuenco, Don Vicente Rama, Don Filemeon and Don Vicente Sotto. Today, what we have are meek and silent bench sitters and members of the august chamber whose voice we never hear in plenary and in committee debates and deliberations.

I miss the parliamentary prowess of Pabling Garcia, Raul del Mar, Eddie Gullas and Tony Cuenco in the Lower House. I even remember the shrieking voice of Maning Zosa as he debated with Ed Kintanar and Ramon Durano.  In the old Batasan, I miss the voices of Jun Davide, Talyux Bacalso, Fr. George Kintanar, and Filemon Fernandez. I miss the voice of Celing Fernan, Sonny Osmeña and Serge Osmena and Boy Herrera in the Senate.

Today, this era can be characterized as the winter of Cebu's political discontent. Cebu has lost its grandeur in national politics. There are two senators from the tiny cities of San Juan, Taguig and Las Piñas. There are two Tulfos, Entradas/Ejercios, Cayetanos and Villars. But the 5 million Cebuanos are represented by zero senators. What happened to the Cebuano political leaders?

Our province will continue to be a minor player in national politics. We have lost the glory of the olden times and the grandeur of our great Cebuano political leaders. The political horizon does not indicate any sign of renaissance of the Cebuano brand of politics and national leadership. With due respect, none of our members of the House has the stature of a senatoriable, as of the moment.

Cebu will still not have any senator in 2028. There is no Cebuano today who has attained the stature of former Senators Serging Osmeña, Sonny Osmeña, Serge Osmeña, Celing Fernan, Boy Herrera, much less the illustrious character and reputation of Don Sergio Osmeña, Don Mariano Jesus Cuenco, Don Filemon and Don Vicente Sotto, Don Vicente Rama, Don Manuel Briones and Don Paulino Gullas.

In the 4th and the 5th Legislature from 1916 to 1922, with Manuel Quezon as Senate President, 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 Senate 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 Protemp 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 senators.

In the First Congress after the Philippines gained independence, 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 Senate President, the other senator from Cebu was Manuel Briones. In the 3rd Congress with Eulogio Rodriguez as SP, and Manuel Briones as Pro Temp, the other senator was Mariano Jesus Cuenco. Those were the days when the Senate was not complete without a great Cebuano senator or even two.

In the 4th Congress from 1958 to 1961 with Amang Rodriguez as Senate President the lone senator from Cebu was Mariano Jesus Cuenco. In the 5th Congress, from 1962 to 1965, with Ferdinand Marcos as SP, and Lopez as pro temp, 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 Landring Almendras. In the 7th Congress, from 1970 to 1973, Cebu was represented by three senators: Serging Osmeña, Sonny Osmeña and Rene Espina.

Marcos abolished Congress from 1973 to 1986 under Martial Law. After unicameral Batasang Pambansa, the 8th and 9th Congress from 1987 to 1992 and from 1992 to 1995 respectively, the two Cebu senators were 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. Ceiling Fernan became Senate President. In 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.

In the 13th Congress, from 2004 to 2007, Cebu was represented by Serge Osmeña alone. In the 14th, from 2007, there was no senator from Cebu. The 15th from 2010 to 2013, Serge Osmeña was the only Cebuano senator. In the 16th Congress, from 2013 to 2016, Serge Osmeña was the lone Cebuano in the Senate. The 17th Congress had no Cebuano in the Senate. In the 18th, Fom then one, Cebu has zero representation in the Upper Chamber.

Both in the 19th and 20th Congress, no senator is from Cebu. The tiny Taguig has brother and sister Alan and Pia Cayetano. The even smaller Las Piñas has siblings Mark and Camille Villar. The smallest San Juan has two half-brothers, the good one JV and the handsome one, Jinggoy. The House of the Tulfos has Raffy and Erwin. But zero from Cebu.  Region 11 has two, Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go. Cebu, with 5 million people, has zero in the Senate.

Among the seven congressmen from the districts of the province and among the two Cebu City representatives, one from Mandaue and one from Lapu-Lapu, and two party list congressmen, I am sorry to say that none has achieved the stature of a senatoriable. One exception might be Edu Rama and another, P J Garcia but they have a long way to go. They do not have any national stature. They are not even known in Bohol, Negros, Leyte and Iloilo.

I should correct myself then.  It is not Cebu politics that have deteriorated. What gives is the brand of today's Cebuano politician. As Shakespeare wrote in his immoral masterpiece, Julius Caesar, " The fault, my dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings." That makes me sad.