Talking about Cebu politics

There is no doubt that the political season has already started when Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz suddenly anointed Vice-Mayor Carlo Fortuna to replace her in the 6th District. No doubt, Carlo is very competent to hold that position, but this is for Gov. Gwen F. Garcia to decide. If I know the Governor, she will choose the best person for that office!

Meanwhile, the more interesting political stories surfaced with the latest report that former Senator John “Sonny” Osmeña apparently suggested that Minnie Osmeña ought to run against Gov. Gwen Garcia in the next Gubernatorial race. I would have taken that suggestion in jest; after all, there’s no love lost between Sonny O and the siblings of the late Sen. Serging Osmeña Jr. But surprisingly, Mayor Tommy Osmeña took this suggestion seriously to honor it with a reply that he is not buying Sonny’s suggestion.

Of course, Mayor Tommy knows his politics well, even if Sonny gave him a hint of Cebu’s political history when Serging won against Cebu Gov. Manuel Cuenco in 1953. More than anyone, Mayor Osmeña knows that Gov. Gwen has solidified her position as the only Governor of Cebu who has unified all the municipalities and towns of Cebu. It would be suicidal for anyone, even Minnie Osmeña to take on Gov. Gwen. Even if Sonny Osmeña himself would throw the gauntlet at Gov. Gwen, I doubt if he can win against her for the Governor’s seat. So don’t expect a Battle Royale in the Province of Cebu.

Now that Mayor Tom has doused cold water on that suggestion, let’s focus on Cebu City politics. Like it or not, Vice-Mayor Michael Rama is still the odds on favorite in the Mayoralty race as we haven’t heard of any challengers yet. Elections is fast approaching and if the opposition to Bando-Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) doesn’t present its line-up soon, they can never hope to win any seats in the Cebu City Council, how much more for the Mayoralty seat?

If any, the biggest headache of Mayor Osmeña is in the South District where lone opposition Jonathan Guardo is making inroads in what used to be “Cuenco” country. Guardo has the strength and financial capability to launch a massive campaign, which I know he has already started. The only option left is for Mayor Tommy to meet Guardo head on.

Mayor Tom doesn’t like to be in Congress, but compared to the many congressmen that have been elected into office, Mayor Tom brings with him his vast knowledge as Cebu City mayor that would be useful in Congress. Though nothing is final yet, the ball is in Guardo’s court. Should he meet Mayor Osmeña head on or scamper away? If Guardo decides to go for it then that would be an election to watch!

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There is no question that there’s fierce competition between the Telcos in this country and that this competition has greatly benefited us consumers. Gone where the days when cellular phones were only for those who could afford them, because in those analog days, the phone charges were extremely expensive, thanks largely to the huge capital investments that Telcos have to plunk in to be in this business. But wireless communications have already matured and call rates are dropping faster than flies.

Yesterday we joined the launching for the SMART@lk by Smart Communications, the country’s leading service provider that boasts up to 38 million subscribers. This is a new service that will be available starting today at all Smart outlets, which does not require changes in your SIM or cell phone number and can be enjoyed by Smart Buddy and Smart Gold subscribers.

Smart’s Mary Jane Paredes threw a question to set the tone for us to ponder, “Life is difficult in these times, so can we still get value for money with the products being offered to consumers?” To answer that question, Jane introduced an old friend Mr. Danilo “Bong” Mojica, who was one the top honcho for Cebu Pacific Airlines (CPA). Technically he is still in the “air” business as he is the Head of Smart’s Wireless Division. Bong Mojica pointed out that “In Smart we try to be relevant to the times while at the same time making it easy and convenient and affordable for our consumers.”

SMART@lk allows Smart subscribers from all over its vast network to use only one phone, one SIM and one number to make unlimited, crystal clear calls anytime, anywhere. As Bong Mojica pointed out, “SMART@lk rewrites the rules in the way ‘unlimited’ mobile services are made available to Filipinos— no other service offering provides unlimited, nationwide calling to a subscriber base as large as Smart.” This service is being officially launched in Cebu today. So now Smart has upped the ante, let’s hear how the competition will respond to this challenge!