The unfolding of a political season

The number two citizen of this country, the honorable Vice President Jejomar Binay, had not been shy in expressing his desire to run for the presidency in the 2016 elections. Even in the early days of his office, he began traveling to all parts of the country, ostensibly on official business. Of course, we could not help but notice that he was veritably on a campaign trail. And he got so high in the survey ratings that his probable opponents panicked enough as to hatch the kind of demolition job that a senate sub-committee has perceptively been engaging these past many months.

But, no one matched the derring-do of the vice president. Nobody said in unequivocal terms his intention to contest the 2016 presidential derby. Oh yes, there were those who would register an embarrassed shy when asked of their political aspirations in 2016, but so far, perhaps out of propriety, considering that the election is still many months away, nobody else declared a plan to seek the presidency in the coming polls.

Few days ago, a number of retired military and police officers fired the first salvo. They came out strongly endorsing former Senator Panfilo Lacson and Senator Grace Poe. I read a full-paged advertisement purportedly with genuine signatures saying in so many words that Lacson should be a good bet for president. How should Sen. Poe fit into the scene is something that they have yet to work out, I suppose.

I am sure that the other presidential hopefuls who have so far been coy will follow the example of Lacson. The ad will serve as an expediter of sort. This article today is to react to that publicized Lacson political direction. Oh no, I am not running for any position other than for president of a chapel yet to be erected.

What interests me, however, are the possible alignments in our city. Well, His Honor, Cebu City Mayor Michael L. Rama is expected to go for his third term. That is a natural political event. And with the way he has been openly talking of his partnership with Vice Mayor Edgardo C. Labella, it is also a reasonable expectation that they will not break their alliance.

Who will be their opponents? Logic would tell us that former Congressman Tomas R. Osmeña, will carry the torch of the local group called BOPK, and run against the sitting mayor.  I recall that soon after the 2013 election, Osmeña filed an electoral protest against Rama and so if only to prove correct his political theory that he, Osmeña, won the 2013 mayoralty contest, he should face Rama again in an election joust.

This week too, the name of former Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young surfaced. It is observed that he had been so out of circulation that he might have lost touch of his leaders. But that his name came up must be to the credit of adroit drumbeaters. It was a creative way of bringing forth his name, for indeed, he might really be itching to slug it out against the vice mayor, once more.

On my way down from my mountain garden, recently, I chanced upon the group of Mayor Rama in an upland barangay. My old rickety Volkswagen had to crawl, literally, because there were many motor vehicles that occupied the road. I learned from someone who was simply observing the scene along the way that there were present personalities who were seeking to form part of the Team Rama.

Some of the persons mentioned were familiar to me. That could be the main reason why they may be in the mayor's list. Their political stocks carry some weight. The crowd that attended the initial political road show started measuring their election chances. 

The other names could be developed. There is much time to bring their names to the awareness of voters. That is the rule. Propaganda can do it. But, they should understand that it is easier to create a following for a candidate if he has done enough academically or socially to attract attention. Differently said, he will only be a heavy load to carry if he is going to be candidate with nothing for partisans to crow about.

I plan to alert my friends in the barangays. Soon, they will tell me who may be showing their faces in the remote parts of the city, and we shall witness the unfolding of the biggest extravaganza the Filipinos are fond of - politics.

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