Cebu's greatest political titans

With due respect, our politicians today are nothing to be very proud of. Today's trapos cannot hold a candle before the monuments of Cebu's greatest political giants.

We Baby Boomers cannot help but recall with nostalgia the good old days of the Osmeñas, Cuencos, Ramas, Duranos, Kintanars, Sottos, Gullases, Garcias, Davides. and Fernans.

For those born after EDSA, I’m attempting to collect the fragments of political nuggets that genuine Cebuanos should be proud of and may tell future generations. They had imperfections but most of the time, their character and stature were far superior than those of the erratic, self-righteous pretenders.

The greatest Cebuano political clans, to me were the Osmeñas, Sottos, Cuencos, Ramas, Duranos, Kintanars, Gullases, Garcias, and individuals like Manuel Briones, Marcelo Fernan, Hilario Davide Jr., Benhur Salimbangon, Raul del Mar, Sim Kintanar, and Tony Cuenco. There were others but they were only politicians, not leaders in the true sense of the word.

The Osmeñas gave us our first and only president from Cebu, Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. who was governor, congressman, speaker, senator, vice president and president. No other Cebuano achieved that feat. He gave us his son, Serging who was governor, mayor, congressman, senator, vice presidential and presidential candidate. And his grandsons, Senators Sonny, Serge, Lito, and Tomas. They weren’t always victorious in elections but always fought with honor and dignity. The Osmeñas weren’t corrupt or greedy. There were minor lapses but the good things they did linger.

The Sottos were Don Filemon and Don Vicente. They helped shape politics, journalism, and the practice of law in Cebu. Filemon was congressman from 1907 to 1916 and senator from 1916 to 1922. He was one of the seven wise men who wrote the best Philippine fundamental law of all times, the 1935 Constitution. Vicente was the Father of Cebu Journalism. From councilor, he became senator and performed excellently in the Senate. His grandson, Tito Sotto, became a senator and Senate president twice. But the Sottos today have ceased to be Cebuanos by choice.

The Cuencos gave us Don Mariano Jesus Cuenco, congressman, senator, and the first Cebuano elected Senate president. He was the seventh governor of Cebu, from 1931 to 1934, followed by his son, Manuel, the fourteenth Cebu governor, from 1946 to 1951. Miguel Cuenco was the younger brother of Mariano who was a journalist and congressman for a long time representing the old Cebu 5th District from Boljoon in the southeast down to Santander and up to Alcantara in the southwest. Manuel’s son, Antonio, was a congressman for a long time representing the old 5th District from 1965 to 1969 then transferred to the old 2nd District from 1987 to 2001.

Ramon Durano was the kingpin of the old 1st District, now the fifth, and was undefeated until Duke Frasco conquered the Durano empire, aided by the Garcias. He and Beatriz Duterte gave Cebu Ramon Boy Durano Jr., Ramon, Nito Durano III, Jesus Don Durano, Thomas Mix Durano, Joseph Ace Durano, Ivy Hotchkiss Durano, and their twin grandsons Congressman Peter John Durano Calderon of the 7th District and Board Member Raymond Joseph of the second. Beatriz ran against Dr. Osmundo Rama for Cebu governor but lost. There’s no more Durano today who has the stature of Ramon.

I have no more space for the Garcias and Gullases but I won't miss mentioning that Hilario G. Davide, from the mountain village of Colawin, Argao, is the only Cebuano who became constitutional delegate twice in 1973 and 1987, Comelec chairman, Batasang Pambansa assemblyman, associate justice, Supreme Court chief justice, and permanent ambassador extraordinary plenipotentiary to the United Nations.

He and his brother are both Ramon Magsaysay awardees. No other Filipino brothers achieved that feat in the entire Asia. He was named by President Noynoy to the truth commission to investigate the GMA controversies but the Supreme Court nullified it. He is completely honest and the father of one of our best governors, Hilario P. Davide, III.

The Osmeñas are almost gone except the durable Tomas, who keeps on building up new leaders who only betray him later and destroy his legacies. Celing Fernan, Sonny Osmeña, Boy Herrera, Noy Pabling, Noy Jesus Garcia, Eddiegul, Tony Cuenco, Raul del Mar, Benhur, and Sim K are all gone.

The old times saw the greatness of Cebu and the grandeur of Cebuano political leaders. I’m sad that today's leaders can’t hold a candle to the stature of our illustrious leaders before. No offense intended. Sad but true.