Changes in our political landscape (Part II)

When the counting of ballots of the May 9 elections was over and done and after the political dust had settled, we learned that the group belonging to Team Rama had 11 councilors, in the Cebu City Council, but their leader, then mayor Michael Rama had lost to the challenger, the comeback kid, Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

But despite winning his mayoralty bid (although I still believe that this was part and parcel of the Liberal Party's foray into the PCOS machines) to their consternation, the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan that pledged their fealty to then the anointed but defeated candidate of the yellow president Benigno "PNoy" Aquino only had a majority of six councilors in the Cebu City Council.

Well, as we already learned a few days ago, two councilors from Team Rama, notably Councilor Dave Tumulak and Hanz Abella jumped ship to the BOPK. But yet it hasn't given the BOPK the majority it needs to control the Cebu City Council as it leaves Team Rama with nine over BOPK's eight councilors. But it is a close shave for Mayor Osmeña to work on just one more councilor to jump to his side.

But then on the other hand, all of the sudden, Team Rama evaporated overnight when last Saturday, what's left of Team Rama led by Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella took their oath of office as members of the PDP-Laban coalition led by House Speaker Pantaleon "Bebot" Alvarez at the Sacred Heart Center. While the former members of Team Rama have become the local political party of PDP-Laban, they have reaped an unexpected advantage of belonging to the current ruling party, which for as long as President Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte keeps up his phenomenal popularity would certainty last for the next six years.

So who is this solitary Councilor who could possibly tip the political balance in the City of Cebu? From the way things are going, I'm looking at my good friend, Councilor Pastor "Jun" Alcover Jr., whose loyalty to Mayor Mike Rama is without question because he was never known as an "Osmeña lackey." But why didn't Councilor Alcover take his oath as member of the PDP-Laban like what his fellow members of Team Rama did?

To get the answer, I called up Jun Alcover early morning yesterday and we had a very long talk. First of all, he did not take his oath as PDP-Laban simply because he belonged to his old group called Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy or ANAD that landed him in as a member of Congress under the Partylist sector until the Comelec removed ANAD. Team Rama was then allied with the United Nationalist Alliance of then vice president Jejomar Binay. So as far as loyalties are concerned, Councilor Jun Alcover is pure ANAD, not Team Rama.

So why didn't he join the PDP-Laban bandwagon? Councilor Alcover was only being the staunch anti-communist candidate and had fears that the Duterte administration was being too friendly to the Communist Party of the Philippines especially when it took two members of the Communist Party of the Philippines as Cabinet members. This is where I differ with Jun Alcover. Both of us are staunch anti-communist and can the leopard ever change its spots? Nope, that would never happen!

But in my case, I opted to support Duterte because he had a campaign promise or agenda to change our political landscape from its present unitary form of governance and into a parliamentary-federal form of government. It was for me an opportunity of a lifetime that could never happen again and only a President Duterte had the political capital to make things happen. Sure my fears against communism had remained, but the difference is, I had a complete trust in him as intimated to me by former president Fidel V. Ramos that Digong was no commie!

But hey! Look what we are getting into with the Reds? For the first time we are getting a bi-lateral ceasefire. While it may yet be far from a total peace, however, I am betting that the old aging Red leaders, Jose Maria Sison and Father Luis Jalandoni, who are both in their twilight years, are looking at a very limited future ahead of them. If they don't sign a peace treaty with the Philippine government, perhaps a new set of leaders would take over the Communist Party of the Philippines and they would be lost to history and oblivion!

But if they crafted and signed a peace treaty now, they will always be part of Philippine history as peacemakers. And who knows they might even get a Nobel Peace Prize if they played their cards right. Continuing with the armed struggle will not give the communists any advantage but certainly a peace treaty will. So back to the question, will Councilor Alcover tip the political balance in the Cebu City Council? At this point, let us consider Councilor Alcover as truly an independent councilman in Cebu City.