New leaders, new dynasties?
Monday’s elections shook Cebu in a fashion never seen before. The titans who lost couldn’t believe the poll numbers that sent them crashing to the ground.
Tomas Osmeña lost Cebu City; Eduardo R. Gullas lost Talisay City -- both with their vice mayors. And the Garcias lost Cebu Province, with governor aspirant Pablo John Garcia and his vice governor beaten, his brother Marlon defeated in Barili town mayor’s race, and the family patriarch Pablo lost the second district House seat.
Unbelievable, many Cebuanos gasped on the slaying of political giants: “wha’ happened?”
They’re still reviewing the figures, checking how and why, whether they were cheated, or did those freaking machines do it?
Even as the dust of battle settles, people are already looking at the 2016 elections to see if those drubbed last May 13 could recover seized territory and power.
The Osmeñas still have Tomas, clobbered but raring to go after Mayor Michael Rama again, his wife Margot who topped the council slate, Councilor Richie Osmeña, and maybe Tomas’s son Miguel. BOPK still dominates the next City Council but won’t be sure of keeping it for long.
Gullas has two grandsons: Samsam, as unopposed congressman of the first district that Rep. Eduardo Gullas leaves in June, and Digul, as Talisay City councilor. Whether their political machinery will be fit and running in 2016 will depend upon how the new Talisay leaders will fare and how the Gullases will maintain their organization until the next elections.
The Garcias still have Gwen Garcia as congresswoman of the third district, her brother Nelson as Dumanjug mayor, and PJ who might make another crack at the governorship, if Gwen herself won’t do it, or run for the House again, and Gwen’s daughter Cristina who did well as her mom’ s lawyer during the Capitol stand-off and who might retake the second district for her grandfather.
The families of those who lost can’t be written off. Just as the new leaders can’t be dismissed in the next fight. These new leaders are expected to build their own fortresses and maybe their dynasties as well.