Is this an LP march towards Capitol?

If the recent reports published by local dailies were to be believed, (and why not?), the Liberal Party is poised to challenge the leadership of Her Honor, Cebu Provincial Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia and her political party, One Cebu, in the 2013 polls.According to these reports, the party, where the president of our republic is the titular head, is pushing for the tandem of Atty. Hilario Davide, III, for governor and Hon. Agnes A. Magpale, for vice governor. It may therefore be assumed that the governor is not joining the LP.

Analysts advance the claim that a Davide-Magpale team represents the happy chemistry of a formidable south-north combination. The honorable lady vice governor Magpale packs a mean political wallop. She has the support of the main chunk of her bailiwick, the fifth congressional district. Doubtless, she may have also few detractors because, in fact, there is no politician who exists without some unbelievers, but, really, her victories in the past many elections are solid proofs of her unquestioned acceptability. In the 2010 elections, she gave the governor the kind of margin that cushioned the gains earned by PNoy for Atty. Davide, elsewhere in the province.

It must be considered that there were also reports of some meetings between and among the vice governor and the Osmeña brothers, former Gov. Lito and former senator Sonny, both known to have also worked hard for, and inescapably invested in the Liberal Party. Assuming that such meetings really took place, they could only be talking about politics. In all probability, their topic centered on: (a) the possibility of a son of the former governor challenging the leadership of Cong. Eduardo R. Gullas in the first district and (b) the resurgence of the former senator as a congressional bet in the third district.

For this article today, let me just talk of the first and the third congressional districts in relation to the brewing Davide-Magpale tandem. The political landscapes of these areas are shaping up faster than in other parts of the province. There are incontrovertible pronouncements of politicians in these districts and they seem to walk their talk. This early, the first and the third districts are crucial areas with the Osmeña brothers joining the fray. They are seasoned politicians to say the least.

In the first district, Cong. Gullas is on his third term. We do not know if he is being wooed or is intending to join the Liberal Party. Whichever, we can expect that the party shall have committed to him the command of the district. They call it as “equity of the incumbent” and such arrangement will allow him, first, to hand pick his successor and second, to work for the party’s candidates for governor and vice.

It is possible that Sir Eddiegul will not join the president’s party. If this be the case, his main concern is to anoint a successor whose face will likely be as new as that of the son of the former governor. Of course, he will throw his massive political clout to prop his bet up. But in like manner, the former governor, although out of the political scene for some time now, will, while in part relying upon his name, crank his political machinery with the kind of wherewithal we believe he is blessed with. I think that the beneficiary of the contest will be the Liberal Party bets for governor and vice.

Since middle part last year, we have been reading the news about the regular visits of former Sen. Sonny in the third district. In one telecast interview, he was forthright in his intentions. He will run for representative of that district and he will lock horns with re-electionist Cong. Pablo John Garcia, the brother of the incumbent governor. The election is going to be tight. But, I also foresee that like the first district, its immediate effect is a plus for the Davide-Magpale tandem.

I think the very early excitement I continue to hear as have been exuded by those who know the dynamics of politics must have been anchored on the viability of the reported Davide-Magpale team-up in the light of these four districts. Future developments will tell us whether these forecasts are valid.

But I hope our political analysts will dwell on what we the voters can get out of the possible success of these two leaders.