For the second time, the first was in 1988 when he ran for mayor against then Cebu City OIC mayor Jose “Boy” Cuenco, former mayor and incumbent Cebu City south district Rep. Tomas “Tommy” Osmeña wages a tough electoral battle, one that will test his skills and the influence of the political machine Bando Osmeña – Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK). He is running for mayor against a former ally, incumbent Mayor Michael “Mike” Rama.
Tommy showed his mettle by trouncing Boy Cuenco in the first free elections after Martial Law. After becoming mayor of Cebu City, Tommy held sway from 1988 to 1998, and from 2001 to 2010.
His control was interrupted only during the time of former mayor Alvin Garcia (1998 to 2001), but as everyone knows, Alvin got elected as mayor because of Tommy’s support. The same is true in 2010 when then Vice Mayor Rama ran for the same office under Tommy’s banner. Barred from seeking a fourth term, Tommy ran and won the congressional race in Cebu City’s south district, a bailiwick of the Ramas.
Mike and Tommy are presently at odds with each other, but as political allies for more than two decades, there’s not much difference in the way they view local issues.
Maybe Mike differed with Tommy on some but the former chewed them privately because he did not have the guts to quarrel with the local party chief. In fact, even after he became mayor, Mike still acted deferentially towards Tommy.
The 2013 elections is a different ballgame because while Mike is still the same laid back politician lacking in communication skills, he is an incumbent who has command over state resources. These past few days, people are also talking about certain local issues that seem to favour him and could well be the game changer in the local race.
The BO-PK political machine and President Noynoy Aquino’s support for Tommy are major plusses that threaten Mike’s re-election. The latter is running under the opposition United Nationalist Alliance and in P-Noy country that might turn off some voters. But what is this I hear, that Mike is starting to get heard because of positive developments in the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC)?
The CCMC is a 127-bed capacity government hospital, classified by the Department of Health as a general hospital in the tertiary category. The hospital that caters to the poor and marginal sectors of the city has been in Tommy’s hit list during his last term because of reports of poor service and corruption. He had threatened to sell the hospital to a businessman identified with a telco giant, but Mike stood in his way. I think Tommy could have pressed the issue but he was careful not to invite public backlash.
When Mike succeeded him in City Hall, his administration gave the facility an allocation of P279 million and things started to change. I believe it didn’t happen overnight. Rather, it was the vote of confidence given by the local chief executive for the CCMC administration that made all the difference for the morale of the staff, and proved key in the delivery of better services.
The hospital under the stewardship of Dr. Gloria Duterte was recognized by the city government during yesterday’s 76th Charter Day celebration. She is a casual employee but despite the brickbats being thrown in her direction, she was able to transform the hospital into a well-run institution. Meanwhile, CCMC was recognized as outstanding organizational department for the second straight year.
As expected, Mike is highlighting the turnaround of the city hospital as he goes around the different city barangays.
Last week, Rep. Tommy Osmeña announced that if he is elected mayor, he will no longer pursue plans to sell the CCMC. That’s a major turnaround, something that Tommy does not usually do. Still, his idea to place the hospital under the authority of a city councilor who will run it under the guidance of his doctor-wife is off, and basically reveals his antipathy over the public hospital. Ambot og ngano.
Politics is politics but the public should rally behind exemplars of public service like Dr. Duterte and her co-workers at CCMC.