With news reports that a defeated candidate for barangay captain identified with the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) filed an administrative complaint against Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and 13 other city officials, political observers right away pointed to Mike’s political rival, former mayor and congressman Tomas “Tommy” Osmeña, as the brains behind the move.
The scenario being bandied about is that the Office of the President will issue a suspension order against these city officials towards the end of their term in 2016, triggering a mass vacancy in City Hall from the mayor down to the councilors. People with hairy tongues say it is a perfect setup for the re-emergence of Tommy’s BO-PK in the executive branch because Councilor Margot Osmeña will ascend the ladder of succession if the case against Mayor Mike, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella and other city officials stick.
There are many reasons to believe the big “if” is not going to happen.
First of all, Cebu was declared under a state of calamity when a massive earthquake hit the province in October and supertyphoon Yolanda in November last year. Secondly, the allocation for calamity assistance was unanimously approved by the City Council.
In other words, the legal basis was well-established. There were moral issues when the City Council approved the resolution for calamity aid because they personally benefited from the money allocation. But the issues were ignored, as nobody in the opposition objected because everybody was feeling the brunt of the twin tragedy.
The scenario of putting these city officials under suspension to favor the mayor’s rival may just result in a political backlash that would be costly for the presidential candidate of the Liberal Party in 2016. Cebu City voters are among the most enlightened and I think that because Mayor Rama is not known to steal money from public coffers, local voters will be able to put two and two together.
Recently, Councilors Alvin Dizon, Roberto Cobarrubias and Eugenio Gabuya decided to return the P20,000 calamity assistance. Another BO-PK stalwart, Councilor Nida Cabrera is also set to follow. Clearly, they are worried by the case and its impact on their political future.
The political strategy is still evolving, so to speak, but I think that in the present, Tommy has reasons to be happy because the complaint has the effect of telling BO-PK councilors that they can’t be too chummy with Mayor Mike without suffering the consequences.
It is as if the BO-PK chieftain is telling his partymates, “Basin nakalimot mo nga sakop mo sa kaatbang nga partido.” In which case, I can foresee that BO-PK councilors will be back in their role as vocal oppositionists to the Rama administration. This is the short-term benefit that Tommy is targeting, notwithstanding the outcome of the complaint now lodged with the Office of the President.
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Last Monday, I joined NewsCoop officials Elias Baquero and Oscar Pineda in discussions with Victo National chairman Doris Cañares about preparations for the 12th National Cooperative Summit in Oct. 16 to 18 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino in Lahug.
The main convenor of the biennial meet is the Philippine Cooperative Center (PCC) with the Cooperative Development Authority as co-convenor.
The PCC summit in Cebu will be hosted by Victo National and the Philippine Cooperative Central Fund. Some 5,000 cooperative stakeholders from all over the country are expected to attend the three-day conference to discuss shared concerns and plans for the future.
The PCC is set to become the apex organization of the national cooperative movement and I’m happy to note that a Cebuano was elected to assume its leadership.
Doris Cañares was elected PCC chairman during a convergence meeting in Palawan last month.
She is an officer of the Timex Cooperative and has been in the board of the directors of Victo National for many years. She is immersed in the movement, conversant with coop principles and legal framework. As a Coop thoroughbred, Doris is upbeat about the future of the movement in the sense that with an apex body, coops will have a unified voice and will cease to be fragmented.
To Victo National and PCC chairman Doris Cañares, congratulations and more power!