Now, more than ever

Before anything else, Happy Easter everyone!

On the assumption that His Honor, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, will seek re-election in the 2013 polls, there is an unquantifiable degree of importance and urgency for him, to draw the line now among the city councilors and identify those who are on his side. It is vital that he knows whom to count on to push the kind of local legislation with which to anchor his programs for the city. Or, he is in a worse situation than being a lame duck without his knowing it.

I say the need is present because Mayor Rama cannot afford to pretend that he has the full support of the entire Sanggunian. Yes, it is true that they all ran under the banner of BOPK, and therefore they do belong to that group, but, someone other than him seems to weave the magic wand of loyalty. I am referring that someone to the honorable Cebu City South District Representative, Tomas Osmeña. Should Mayor Rama mislead his own self into thinking that he possesses the backing of the city council, he will find out, much sooner, that he will be unable to get the kind of funding his projects demand and on account of which his administration is going to be a dismal failure.

I am sure he remembers how his first few programs got shot dead by his supposed BOPK mates. For instance, the mayor announced publicly his intention to put up a Cebu City Band/Orchestra. That was, to me, his initial project - the very first one. It was probable though that he did not consult his team members before making the announcement or worse, he did so without getting the nod of his predecessor. The founder of the BOPK might have been offended by the mayor’s apparent lack of perceived protocol. So what happened? The two million-peso fund that the mayor directed to be included in the budget got erased, also without his knowing. 

Since the first month of his administration, there were more pet projects of the mayor that got derailed because, apart from no one of the councilors standing for their sponsorship in the council session, almost all of them lacked interest in them. It looked to me that the Sangguniang Panlungsod opposed all of the mayor’s preferred undertakings. Yet, he, as our chief executive, could not even wield the whip of discipline.

It might be better for him to clarify political realities. With one year of his stewardship almost over, Mayor Rama should now count his allies, if any, at the council. He must now breach the mantle of simply being party mates and ask those willing to stand beside him to do so.

I am sure it will not be easy for the mayor to make that call. In fact, the immediate effect of this act will be adverse to him. He might stand alone unable to count even one councilor ready to champion his cause. But, it is better to face a sad reality early than be sorry when there is no time left to remedy the situation.

In any case, everything is not really against the mayor. His is not a totally helpless position. On the contrary, it will be an opportunity to show character. All these years, we have been hearing of vitriolic comments against him the extreme of which is that he is a wimp. While the councilors do not author these criticisms, their actions opposite the desires of the mayor tend to validate them.

If he decides to ask the Sanggunian members who are willing to be with him, thru political thick or thin, the mayor will have shown the stuff he is really made of. He can outline his vision for the city with vigor without having to wait for the dictate of the former chief executive nor to placate the feelings of pseudo-party mates in the council.   

The mayor can rest in the comfort that if his plans are designed to address the concerns of Cebuanos and that they are realistic, we shall be more persuaded by sincerity of the planner than by the resonance of certain family names.