Sonny O’s options
Last Friday the headline news was the announcement by the Garcia family that Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia would run for the Senate while younger brother Rep. Pablo John Garcia was running for governor. Last Tuesday at the 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza, former senator Sonny Osmeña declared that he would not support the Liberal Party’s anointed candidate for governor, Junjun Davide.
Sonny Osmeña is convinced that his nephew Mimo, the son of former governor Lito Osmeña, is a better choice. He said he would write to the leadership of the Liberal Party to call a convention to choose the party’s standard bearer in Cebu. For his own political plans, Sonny said that he was open to four options: to run for congressman in the 3rd district of Cebu, for governor of Cebu, for mayor of Toledo City or nothing at all.
Sonny Osmeña said he was even open to the idea of supporting a Garcia against Davide, as long as it was not Gwen Garcia.
With the latest decision that Congressman Pablo John Garcia would run for the governorship, clearly there’s an opening for Sonny to aim for the 3rd district, which he used to represent.
There’s the expectation that in return, Sonny would support Pablo John’s gubernatorial bid. Gwen’s run for the Senate would definitely get the support of all Cebuano politicians except Sonny and Tommy Osmeña.
We’re going to see a Liberal Party member withholding his support for the party’s candidate and switching support to a Garcia.
In the 1st district, Rep. Eduardo Gullas will support PJ Garcia for governor if an Osmeña tries to contest Gullas’ hold in the district.
In the 2nd district, Rep. Pabling Garcia’s support for daughter Gwen is assured, but Noy Pabling’s leadership will be contested by a younger politician, probably a former town mayor.
In the 3rd district, Sonny Osmeña will have smooth sailing in his comeback bid with PJ Garcia out of the way.
In the 4th district, Rep. Benhur Salimbangon will support PJ Garcia. Junie Martinez will be in a difficult situation because he belongs to the Liberal Party but may not be totally supportive of Davide just like Sonny O.
In the 5th district, the Duranos will go wherever Agnes Magpale goes. Magpale may run for vice governor either in the ticket of the Liberal Party or under PJ Garcia. Or Magpale may run for the position of governor, contesting PJ Garcia.
In the 6th district, Rep. Luigi Quisumbing is expected to support the One Cebu Party and by extension PJ Garcia.
Junjun Davide has a load of work ahead to make his ticket win. Getting Magpale on his side would be a plus factor but Davide has to work doubly hard to defeat a younger Garcia . If PJ Garcia could convince Magpale to run as his vice governor, that’s the end of Junjun Davide.
A Davide-Magpale tandem is a formidable tandem but beatable especially if PJ Garcia will have a well-known and popular politician as his runningmate.
In the case of Mimo Osmeña, his father Lito has not yet given his blessing for his eldest son to run for governor as suggested by Sonny O.
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Last week the Supreme Court finally decided to distribute the Hacienda Luisita among 6,000 farmer occupants. The verdict was met with jubilation and viewed with political color by some sector especially that Chief Justice Renato Corona is facing impeachment in the Senate. I agree with the decision of the Supreme Court that gave life to the land reform program of the Cory Aquino administration.
It’s about time to distribute the vast landholding to legitimate farmers in Hacienda Luisita. Ironically the distribution happened during the term of President Noynoy Aquino who is a nominal owner of Hacienda Luisita. He may be criticized for this case but at least he never intervened to stop the land distribution, which reinforces his reputation for integrity. The distribution of farm lots may be considered as a legacy of the Aquino government.
