Rama and the barangay captains

Is it an assured victory for Mayor Michael Rama who’s counting his allies among the recently elected barangay captains?

He counted at least 41 “friendly” barangay bosses in Cebu City’s 80 barangays.

It’s an improvement from the 30 something allies he had before his decisive victory in the May local elections but it’s too early to beat your chest over a virtual 50-50 result.

The next goal, of course, is to tag the next president of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC).

Whoeve wins sits as an ex officio member of the City Council, which would add one vote to the mayor’s minority of four councilors.

Outgoing ABC president and Councilor Michael L. Ralota of barangay T. Padilla was reelected last Monday in his neighborhood.

As a trusted lieutenant of Tomas Osmena, his presence in the league cannot be underestimated.

Or does the mayor have other ideas of winning over the other half of barangay captains to his side?

An extra vote in the City Council surely counts to reinforce Team Rama’s Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella and Councilors Mary Anne delos Santos, Dave Tumulak, Hans Abella and James Cuenco.

It’s not enough to stave off a veto challenge, or a majority decision but it does strengthen Rama’s voice in the legislature.

Growing support for Rama among barangay captains can temper the antagonist City Council which is dominated by members of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK).

But the mayor should also remember that the kind of loyalty of barangay captains that is built on generous allotments for garbage trucks, vehicles and loosely supervised community projects is built on sand.

How else were village officials kept in line during Osmeña’s term if not through a well-tuned system of allocating resources for barangay projects? How long did that last?

Rama’s leadership will be tested some more in the runup to the 2016 election, when one can expect a hardball game by the Aquino administration (with no cozy ties with Rama).

He will have to show to barangay captains, who is the more effective benefactor. That’s politics.