We need more senators from the Visayas and Mindanao
As of today, Visayas and Mindanao are underrepresented in the government. The President is from Luzon, and also the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the former COA Chair, COMELEC Chair, the CSC Chair and 19 Senators out of 24.They all come from the imperial Luzon. Only the Senate President Drilon, Senator Miriam , our dear Senator Serge Osmeña and Senators Guingona, Pimentel, the only two from Mindanao. The AFP Chief of Staff, the Army Chief, the Navy Chief, and the Chief of the Air Force are all from Luzon. Visayas and Mindanao have token representation in the cabinet and the bureaucracy.
If our government were of parliamentary form, and representation in the Senate would be proportionate, the Visayas regions would be fairly represented by at least 9 Senators. Region 6, which is the Ilonggo region should have at least 3, two from Panay and one from Negros Occidental. Region 7 should have at least 4, 2 from Cebu, one from Negros Oriental and Siquijor and one from Bohol. And Region 8 should have two, one from the Samar provinces and one from the Leyte/Biliran provinces. And Mindanao should have 5 senators. Let Luzon have the remaining 10 . Northern Mindanao already has Guingona and Pimentel, Southern and Central Mindanao should have one. The fifth should be a Muslim from Sulu, Tawi Tawi or Basilan.
Senator Serge Osmeña is a very competent, dedicated and honest senator. He should remain there or even be considered for the vice presidency. A good material for the Senate who is a member of the ruling party is Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, the brother of the incumbent Vice Governor. Or even Governor Hilario Davide III. So young, so untainted, and so promising. The opposition may put up Mayor Michael Lopez Rama for senator, if he chooses not to run for reelection. Ex-Mayor Tom Osmeña is also a very good candidate for senator but his brother, Serge, is already in the Senate. If he does and wins, then we will have a repeat of the brothers Sotto in the Senate, Don Vicente and Don Filemon.
There are many senatoriables from Panay. For one, Governor Art Defensor is a good prospect. DOH acting Secretary Janet Garin has been considered. If she makes waves in her new post vice Secretary Ona, then she may have a fighting chance, The Garins are a force to reckon with in Iloilo and Dr Janet is a Waray who married into the Garins. From Negros, there is a very good candidate, former secretary Gary Teves. But if he chooses to run for governor, then I would say, Dr Leonor M Briones, Silliman University chair and former National Treasurer is a very competent, although quite revolutionary candidate. Edgar Chato from Bohol and a Petilla or a Romuladez can represent the Warays in the Senate if the incomparable Imeldific won't join son Bongbong in the Senate.
There are many good materials from Mindanao. The most promising is Rufus Rodriguez, the distinguished congressman from the City of Cagayan de Oro. He is a very good parliamentarian, with mastery of the law (He was the most successful Dean of the San Sebastian College of Law) and was President Joseph Estrada's Immigration Commissioner. In the House, Congressman Rodriguez has earned the respect of his peers even from the other parties. The other good prospect is Mayor Oscar Moreno, who used to be Governor of Misamis Oriental and congressman from that province for a long and auspicious time. The only problem is that both Rodriguez and Moreno are from Northern Mindanao where both Pimentel and Guingona hail.
Any way, our point is very simple but compelling. It is high time for the Visayans and the Mindanaoans to assert themselves more in national politics. We have always been left behind because most of our national leaders have always been from the imperial Luzon. The next decades are for the South. Let us make that happen.
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