EDITORIAL - Is Sanchez ready to play?

Vice Governor Greg Sanchez is threatening to create his own faction of the One Cebu Party, feeling uncomfortable this early by the prospect of Tuburan Mayor Constancio Suezo III joining the party.

According to Sanchez, Suezo had been one of the most ardent backers of Sugbuak, that failed initiative to carve Cebu up into as many new provinces as there were greedy congressmen bent on securing their political survival at the end of their current terms.

To counter Sugbuak, Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia created the One Cebu Party and trounced almost everyone associated with that initiative. It helped a lot that most Cebuanos saw through Sugbuak and rallied behind the governor in preserving the province as we all knew it.

But with Sanchez now threatening to create his own faction of the One Cebu Party, is the party now in jeopardy? More importantly, is it now vulnerable to fresh attacks by those who may still entertain the dream of lording it over his "own" province?

If Sanchez merely felt slighted, there is no reason why the kinks in the party cannot be ironed out. Suezo may have been a Sugbuak backer. But only fools do not change their minds. If he has seen the light, why not welcome one more addition to the party?

Taking in Suezo despite his background is not enough reason to split the party. So, if Sanchez makes good his threat to create his own faction, then there has to be a deeper reason for his decision. And by the looks of it, it is no better than the reason behind Sugbuak.

But is Sanchez really prepared to make the split? Is there something we do not know that makes Sanchez brave enough to rock the boat at this time? Because if what we know is all there is, then his hubris is pretty ill-advised.

Maybe Sanchez has lost sight of the fact that the Garcias have emerged as the force to reckon with in Cebu. And if he still needs a little prodding to be reconverted, all he has to do is look at all those pictures in the newspapers of who attended the wedding of Gwen's girl.

Sanchez can beat his breast about any concern he has under the sun. But at the end of the day, he still needs to count his marbles before coming out to play. And by play, we do not mean some cheesy morality play. We mean real hardball politics. So, is Sanchez ready?