I see the fusion of Osmeña and Batuhan

The more profound among political observers I have had the opportunity to be acquainted with always claim that it is very difficult, if not impossible to predict the alliances of politicians. Many of our elective leaders change party affiliations for just about every personal motivation there is such that we see opponents at one time being partners at another time. Indeed, these team ups happen every so often during unbelievable circumstances that the term strange bedfellows was coined.

 Given that predicate, we proceed to ask if there is a heck of a chance for the honorable Congressman of Cebu City’s south district, Tomas R. Osmeña to run for any position in Cebu City with Atty. Aristotle Batuhan, in tow, in 2013? I mean, can they run, for different positions, under the same political party, like the Liberal Party?

 I am unlike my keen political observer friends so I can depart from their difficulty. It is easy for me to believe that both gentlemen, the congressman (or someone else like his lady) and the lawyer, will be the official candidates of the party for mayor and for representative respectively. And I believe that the Cebu City lawmaker pull all strings for this to happen. Anyway, they shared camp when they both pushed for the candidacy of His Excellency, President Beningo Aquino III, then only a candidate in 2010.

 The objective is not much to make Atty. Batuhan, win but to make sure that the mayor’s chances of a victory are minimized.

 The first obvious reason for an Osmeña-Batuhan tie-up is to push His Honor Cebu City Mayor Michael L. Rama out of the Liberal Party. We must remember that shortly after bolting out of the BOPK, the mayor was reported to have stated that he had remained with the Liberal Party. What he did not say was that he hoped the party would make him the official candidate in the mid term elections of 2010.

 This is what the congressman wants to prevent from happening. He cannot allow the sitting mayor to carry the party colors because they are expected to face each other in that electoral contest and more importantly because the Malacañang tenant, who is the party boss, will be inexhaustible source of logistical support. By all means, this must not flow to the mayor.

 Secondly, Hon. Osmeña must remember that when Atty. Batuhan squared off with then Congressman Cuenco, their battle was very closely fought. Even in losing, Atty. Batuhan showed that he developed his own tremendous following. His organization might have failed to notch for his a win, but he lost only by a proverbial skin of his teeth. Without doubt, Cong. Cuenco had to fall back on the BOPK machinery to register the victory.

 The congressional battleground of former Rep. Cuenco and Atty. Batuhan is the south district. If Hon. Osmeña succeeds to make Atty. Batuhan the congressional candidate in 2013, he, in addition to winning to his side the bulk of the latter’s loyal supporters, at the same time, forecloses the chance of the mayor from opting to run for that seat.

Thirdly, the south district representative will want to deprive the incumbent mayor of a possible support of KUSUG. The men belonging to KUSUG may have lost in previous electoral contests but they are still a potent force. They cannot be taken for granted. Atty. Batuhan was the official bet of KUSUG in his previous attempts. He had great working relations with this opposition group and surely he continues to reach out to them. By seeing to it that those KUSUG supporters who worked for Atty. Batuhan in past elections will continue to support the lawyer, the congressman can reduce to a minimum the chance that the mayor can pull them over to his side.