On junking

I always look up to Mondays with renewed vigor. It is my policy to start the week with a fresh dedication in the pursuit of what is good and decent. Most of the time, I prepare myself not to get derailed by whatever negative impulses the surrounding provides at the onset of the week.  

In spite of my attitude, I was taken aback by an unexpected bit of news last Monday. It had something to do with politics and because my lady Carmen and I had seen it fit to stay away from since the 2007 elections, I was not totally prepared for the accusation made by His Honor, Cebu City Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña against candidate for city councilor, Hon. Joel Garganera of the KUSUG party and a former captain of Barangay Tinago. (Oh yes, let me hasten to add, in the spirit of candidness, that each time I come across friends, I always put in few good words of the entire KUSUG party from Mayor Garcia, including their candidate for congresswoman, Hon. Mary Ann de los Santos).

For a better understanding, let me recount what happened. Last Monday, the mayor called a press conference. In his meeting with the members of the Cebu City media, he accused candidate Garganera of junking his KUSUG teammates. To lend credence to his charges, he brought in the name of my lady as a point of reference. True enough, I received inquiries from well meaning friends in the tri-media.

Of course, I have known the arrogance of the mayor. This is so very well documented that it may not be entirely reckless for me to say that this unspeakable nature of the mayor has fallen within the realm of public knowledge. No less than the Office of the Ombudsman, in an appropriate case lodged against him, had found him guilty of this undesirable character. 

But in that Monday incident, I saw how manipulative the mayor has become. He knew that his devious scheme to paint a negative image of candidate Garganera was without factual basis, and could boomerang. So he planned to parry in advance any question on the credibility of his accusation by diverting the issue to another personality. That was a most cunning move, the office of the mayor is undeserving of.

If we speak of junking, this is the maneuver of politicians consisting of casting aside their teammates in favor of someone else outside of their party. To demonstrate this point in plain language, all KUSUG candidates should campaign for everyone in their slate and from whatever little I know of their efforts, they have always been cohesive. Should anyone of them drop any party mate in favor of another in the opposing camp, then he is guilty of junking. Fortunately for that party, it is not happening.

I said above that the accusation leveled by the mayor against Garganera is devious because I believe that, from all indications as well as from the grapevine, the mayor is preparing to junk Hon. Rama. If that should happen, he may be poised to endorse another Osmeña, for mayor. 

So this early, he is accusing someone of junking so that when the time comes that he casts aside Hon. Rama, in favor of someone else's candidacy, he can refute the charge feigning innocence. Cute!

That time may have already come. Few of my friends in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel would swear to high heavens that they heard the mayor endorsing a candidate other than Hon. Rama. If I say it here and now, that is technically hearsay. But, assuming that to be true, (and I had no reason not to believe them), his action was propelled by the happening of two conditions. First, he might have estimated to be able to put up a fight against candidate Guardo, for congressman without the benefit of the backing of the formidable Rama bailiwick and second his forces in the north district of the city might be, as they are reported to be, trailing.

Of course, the Ramas are prepared for this eventuality. From one among them, I learned that they have anticipated this possible scenario. So, it gets to be interesting what their reaction may be. I expect a fast unraveling of events in the next few days to come, especially when the camp of Hon. Rama shall have validated what I heard from Lorega San Miguel people. One thing is getting apparent. The accusation Mayor Osmeña hurled against Gargenera is indicative that the mayor has set in motion what junking he may have in mind. 

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