One-upmanship

August 05,2015 - 01:37 AM

by Rene Elevera

You know it’s election season when former and incumbent officials appear more frequently in radio programs, TV spots and event launchings.

With the advent of online social media, their Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels are more active than usual. In Cebu City, it’s a little different.

The launching last July 27 of the farmers’ market project of former mayor Tomas Osmeña at a private lot in barangay Mambaling near the access road to the South Road Properties (SRP) coincided with his birthday and served as a reminder of sorts to his successor, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, that he is still very much around.

You also know that the former mayor and congressman still commands attention when Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III graced his special day, which was a joint celebration with wife Councilor Margot Osmeña, who celebrated her birthday a day earlier.

In his Facebook page, the former mayor said the farmers of the city’s upland barangays sold over 20 tons of agricultural produce on that day. That the produce was sold at discounted prices and was cheaper than those sold in other public markets made it a hit though it remains to be seen if they can sustain it beyond 2016.

Cebu City Hall officials didn’t take too kindly to the project at first, with Mayor Michael Rama saying that while the initiative was laudable, the organizers should pay taxes to the city government.

As it turned out, the market lot is owned by a private individual, which meant that the farmers need only pay rent rather than taxes to the city compared to public markets like those in Carbon.

At any rate, while the project served to enhance Osmeña’s rep and not a few made the observation that the timing was suspect due to the election season, the former mayor acknowledged the observation but qualified that it was “good politics.”

So long as the project was done to benefit the farmers even if it was meant to build goodwill and support among the communities, one has to give the former mayor props for being quite creative in his campaign.

Armchair political analysts would see things differently though and say that the market project is just the latest in a game of one-upmanship between Osmeña and his predecessor.

This was evident when Osmeña and his political ally, Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa of Cebu City’s south district, pushed for the institution of the extension campus of the Cebu Technological University (CTU) in barangay Bonbon a month back.

But is there a law against this? The mayor may need a little competition to work harder and institute programs that are not only feasible but also sustainable and can benefit his constituents and not just loyal supporters.

Regardless of which side of the political fence one sits in, so long as the projects are within the ambit of the law and will benefit the public, there’s no stopping anyone from implementing them regardless of their political color.

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TAGS: Cebu City City Mayor Michael Rama, election, governance, government, public service, Tomas Osmeña

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