His own man

Yesterday’s declaration of independence by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama confirmed the breach between him and his former benefactor, Rep. Tomas Osmeña.

The gap looks wide enough for both of them to now stop pretending they are friends.

Rama put in words, in his typical rambling, over-reaching style, what he had long felt but never admitted before even when others could see the bootmarks across his smiling face.

He wasn’t desired or appreciated anymore in Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK), where one man’s voice is taken as law and valued as the voice of Cebu City’s future.

Rama had long swallowed the criticism about his role, first that he was the party weakling and “rubber stamp” of Osmeña; then that he was “drunk with power” and “arrogant” as mayor in clearing the Mahiga Creek of illegal settlers without arranging a relocation site first.

In between, Rama has been pretty much taken all the punches, including well-deserved ribbing about his penchant to sing minus-one ditties or overtalk the problems of Cebu City and involve his lady love in City Hall matters that invite a conflict of interest.

But his pain over being attacked by his own colleagues, including the court charges filed before the Ombudsman and court over the Mahiga Creek demolitions, pushed him over the edge.

“Mag sige ta ug storya ug partido. Unya mo ingon man sila nga wala na koy labot. Ug mag sige ko pangankon nga apil ko, unya wala na diay koy labot. Mura na ko’g broken record. At the same time I would be a hypocrite and then I would also be naive about what has been demonstrated against me,” he said at last.

What Cebuanos expect from him now, with his belated realization that he sees a vision of Cebu City differently from the Big Man in B0-PK, is to just do what he says.

Clear the river of obstructions?

Finish it.

Arrange for liveable, relocation and housing for the creek squatters? Follow through and deliver.
Revamp City Hall to get rid of deadbeats and backstabbers? Just do it.

Don’t sing about it , over-speechify it or invoke saints and the Holy Ghost about a man-given mandate to serve the people of Cebu City.
Mayor Rama has already surprised people in the Mahiga Creek issue by being the BO-PK member who was the “weakest link” showing up to be the one with the political will to disturb the waters.

If Rama wants to be his own man, it’s about time.

Cebu City voted for a mayor, for better or worse, to bring about positive change.

His good intentions aside, what will count in the end is results.