At 25 years, Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan is one of Cebu’s biggest homegrown political groups with no by-laws or even registration papers.
Its founder, former Cebu City mayor and congressman Tomas Osmeña, said he may run again in 2016, but for now he’s focused on private life after losing the mayoralty race last May.
“We are just here to serve. We have gone in the forefront of service and we do not know what will happen next,”he told Cebu Daily News.
The regional party turns 25 years old this year, a milestone celebrated informally last Friday at a get-together with allies at Teatro Casino at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug.
The main occasion was the 25th anniversay of the Asian College of Technology (ACT) owned by Osmena’s successor, Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa of the south district.
In his message at the party, Osmeña said he was proud to share the celebration with BO-PK as it turns 25 years old this year. The celebration ended with the ACT-sponsored concert of rock icons Ely Buendia and Rico Blanco in the hotel.
“It’s just a coincidence,” Osmena said later.
“We do not celebrate the anniversary of BO-PK. It’s not even a formal insitutiton. There’s no registration date because we are not registered at all as a party.”
Osmena said he can’t recall the exact date the BO-PK was born in 1987, a year after the Edsa People Power Revolt. He had just come home from years of living in the United States during the Marcos regime.
The following year, he ran for mayor against OIC Mayor Jesus “Boy” Cuenco and won.
Last May, Tomas lost his bid to wrest the mayorship back from his former protégé Michael Rama but BO-PK still dominates the Cebu City Council where his wife Margot is majority floor leader and head of the committee on budget and finance.
Asked what’s ahead for BO-PK, Osmeña was tentative, saying “we do not know what will happen next.”
He said he may run again for office in 2016 “but I am not preoccupied with that.”
For now, he said he was a “private citizen” who wants to focus on his new job as administrator of the estate of his mother, the late Lourdes dela Rama Osmeña who died in 2011.
He was mum on rumors that he’s grooming his only son, Miguel, for the next election.
“I cannot speak for him (Miguel) and I cannot tell my son what to do, but he keeps watch of what’s going on. He is very familiar (with Cebu City politics) and he doesn’t stop asking,” said Osmeña.
But for now, Osmeña said, he is certain of only one thing: he will remain in Cebu City and help the Cebuanos in any way he can even if he does not occupy any public office.
“I am not interested in any national government position but just to help Cebu City,” he told CDN.
The birth of BO-PK
BO-PK, he said, may have been formed on the day he announced that he was running for Cebu City mayor in time for Miguel’s birthday on October 29,1987.
They first used BO-PK as a local political group when Osmeña ran with Alvin Garcia as his runningmate in 1998.
Joining Osmeña’s slate were Joy Augustus Young, north district congressman Raul del Mar and former councilors Rudy Cabrera, Elly Abellana, Nonoy Martinez and Franklyn Seno.
Michael Rama, who later became Osmeña’s runningmate, joined BO-PK in 1992. Rama broke ties with the BO-PK in 2011.
Osmeña said he coined the name BO-PK after “Bando Osmeña”, the group of die-hard supporters of his late father, former senator and mayor Serging Osmeña Jr.
In the 1950s, Serging supporters referred to as the “Osmeña gang” would gather at the 100 sq. meter Osmeña property at the corner of Colon and Osmeña Boulevard to exchange notes and viewpoints and listen to radio commentaries. The lot is now occupied by the Bank of Commerce building.
Osmeña said that since then, he and his allies would indicate BO-PK as their party affiliation when they file their Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) even though it’s not a registered political party.
He recalled having worked with local and funding institutions during his first term as mayor to get billions of pesos worth of projects for Cebu City and neighboring localities.
A Japanese loan under the Metro Cebu Development Project resulted in the widening of the V. Rama, B. Rodriguez, Katipunan, Banawa and P. del Rosario roads; the circumferential roads in the cities of Mandaue and Lapu Lapu; the South Reclamation Project now known as the South Road Properties and the second Mandaue Mactan bridge among others.
Osmeña said that his administration was also a supporter of the Cebu Investment Promotions Center (CIPC).
Although he is no longer in power, BO-PK remains a force to contend with in the City Council where it holds the majority.
Osmeña said BO-PK allies in the City Council continue to consult him on some concerns.
“But it will still be all up to the Cebuanos to decide that is why they should be kept informed,” said former mayor Osmeña.
New Job
Osmeña said that while he has been giving advice to Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, he said he sees Davide is very focused with what he wants done.
The former congressman said he now travels a lot to oversee the family’s properties in California, Baugio, Manila and Negros to look after his late mother’s estate.
“Some of these properties I did not even know exist,” he said.
Two weeks ago before the armed conflict erupted, he spent a day in Zamboanga City to give a lecture to department heads of Mayor Isabelle Climaco-Salazar. He said Salazar was a good friend who sought his help.