First results of the Roxas-Osmeña verbal tussle

First, it was whispered. Each of the whisperers would swear that the sight was horrible. Recalling the ugliness of the scene, all of them would, before relaying what they heard or saw, make the caveat not to tell anyone else about it. Unfortunately, that is not our nature. In fact, we are wont to add a word or two and deduct a phrase or a clause to any news conveyed by word of mouth. The inevitable result was that, almost everyone else learned of the recent shouting match between two known political leaders, never mind if they are both descendants of a great past.

To me, the announcement of former Sen. John H. Osmeña, that he would create a third political force for the forthcoming 2013 mid term elections in the province was a calculated move that had everything to do with the reported exchange of heated words between former Sen. Mar Roxas and Cong. Tomas Osmeña.JHO was clear in his statement. He was withdrawing his support from the projected gubernatorial candidacy of Atty. Hilario Davide III, of the Liberal Party whom he described in various words amounting to lack of leadership.

The former Cebu lawmaker also claimed that he had not been consulted on matters affecting the party. Knowing that Sen. Sonny speaks with candidness, that claim of his must be true. And he has good reasons to gripe about not being consulted in matters affecting the party. If anyone cares to read the historic struggles of the party, he will find out the name of the solon among its more reliable pillars. He, probably, is the most senior among the Liberal Party stalwarts hereabout. Loyalty being the basis in determining hierarchy in matters of politics, Sen. Sonny O should rank higher than most of those who swear to be in the president’s party. So that if new partisans take him for granted, they commit treason to the party.

In Cebu City, the initial repercussion consequent to the reported vituperative Mar Roxas-Tommy Osmeña verbal exchange seemed to favor the position of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama. The Cebu City South district congressman must have felt wronged enough by the cabinet member to utter words not quite unlike bolting out of the party. If he would push that declaration to action and leave the LP, the mayor would be the bet for city mayor under the banner of the sitting president.

 But, I do not think that the former mayor would give the Liberal Party platter to the incumbent mayor. Oh, no. Rep Osmeña knows that there are decided advantages, too many to count, when the party in power throws its massive clout to support a local candidate. During the mid term election, the president has at his disposal all kinds of material needed to push the candidacies of his fieldmen to victory. Surely, the congressman would not risk facing an opponent blessed with such a huge organizational plus.

The question is can he prevent Mayor Rama from being named the Liberal Party official candidate for Cebu City mayor?If we consider the posture of former Sen. Roxas, the one that allegedly precipitated the angry exchange of words between him and our former mayor, it will not be easy for Cong. Osmeña to block the party’s endorsement for Rama. But he does not lack resources. For one, he will tell the LP leadership that in Cebu City politics, it is he and not the mayor who matters and that Rama is his creation only.

The congressman will also pull his political and financial connections. There are forces I know that are capable of backing up the south district legislator and they wield tremendous influence in decisions of political parties, not excluding the Liberal. But, I am unsure if they re still going to lend him the kind of support they provided him in past elections.

Mayor Rama is not a neophyte politician. In the years of his association with his former benefactor, he must have looked into some of the strategies used by the legislator. He knows the latter’s strengths and weaknesses. If the mayor can secure the LP banner, his march to re-election is going to be an interesting political contest.