EDITORIAL - Political schizophrenia

CEBU, Philippines -Before he became congressman, Tomas Osmeña was mayor of Cebu City for nearly two decades. He started his career in politics in 1988 when he ran for mayor and won. He served for two terms. He could have won a sure third term but gave way to his vice mayor then, Alvin Garcia.

However, no sooner had Garcia warmed his seat than Osmeña started heckling him from the sidelines. They eventually had a shouting match inside Garcia's office when Osmeña barged in to meddle with Garcia's authority as mayor.

Osmeña challenged Garcia in the next election and won by the skin of his teeth. For lack of any credible opponents afterward, Osmeña won two more terms until he was disqualified by law to seek a fourth. So he had to move on to new territory -- Congress.

When the people of the south district of Cebu City elected Osmeña to Congress, it can be reasonably inferred that they knew the distinction between a mayor and a congressman so that when they voted for him they must have known they were sending him specifically to Congress.

But why is Osmeña now starting to meddle in City Hall affairs? Does he think he is still the mayor? Has he no sense of propriety? Does he even have a sense of mental balance at all? Cebu City already has a new mayor in Michael Rama, so why can't Osmeña learn to accept that fact?

If he wants to be mayor again, the next election is just a short three years away. He can always try to wrest the mayorship from Rama by that time. But for God's sake, Osmeña should have the delicadeza to respect the mandate of the Cebuanos.

There can be no ambiguity about what Cebuanos want and expect. Having elected him as congressman and Rama as mayor, Cebuanos expect Osmeña to do his job as congressman and Rama his as mayor. For all his meddling with Rama, Osmeña does not yet even have a legislative agenda.

Rama, for his part, should resist any and all attempts by Osmeña to meddle. He owes his position to the Cebuanos, not to Osmeña, regardless of what Osmeña may have deluded himself into thinking. If Rama slips up, he will be answerable to the Cebuanos, not to Osmeña.