With Mike and Edgar together, Barug will win

With the ABC presidency decided, the BOPK majority in the city council is a settled issue. Barug Team Rama should focus on a principled fiscalizing. But next year's polls will be different. I believe the opposition will have a better chance if Mike and Edgar work together. By the looks of it, this will happen.

By the pronouncements of both former mayor Mike Rama and incumbent Vice Mayor Edgar Labella, it is clear there will just be one candidate for Barug against Mayor Tomas Osmeña. Mike has declared he won't be the cause of any split, and if he has to yield to assure Barug’s victory, he is willing to sacrifice. If that comes about, Mike will work hard for Edgar and assure his victory. Information I have indicates the opposition will unload tremendous political ammunitions that can derail Osmeña’s hopes for re-election. Of course, Osmeña has the advantage of being the incumbent and his slight majority in the council. But we can never tell the moment Malacañan intervenes.

My palace contacts confirmed the administration is all-out in its support for Barug. I have it positive that President Duterte, Special Assistant Bong Go, and the members of Duterte’s sanctum sancturom still remember how Osmeña campaigned for Mar Roxas in 2016. Duterte is not vindictive, but politics is politics. Duterte is now aligned with the Marcoses and the Villars of the NP and they have never been associated with Osmeña. In past elections, Osmeña never supported the Marcoses, Villars, GMA, or Gibo Teodoro. Osmeña was with PNoy all the time. And GMA is now with the president's coalition.

Therefore, Barug's bet will enjoy the combined support of the Marcoses, the Villars, GMA’s forces, and the Palace. One very strong reason for Malacañan’s interests in Cebu politics is the strategic and long-range issues of charter change, and the adoption of federalism. The palace cannot trust Osmeña to support these initiatives. These are Duterte’s legacies to history, and he does not want LP to derail them. Therefore, Duterte wants Barug to win not really because he loves Mike or Edgar. He has a personal vision and mission to pursue and he does not trust Osmeña on these matters.

It may be argued by the other side that Cebu has always been an opposition city. But history tells us that when there is a very strong president, Cebu will yield. During Martial Law, Cebu City elected Mayor Florentino Solon, who was a Malacañan-anointed candidate. Cebu Province elected Eddie Gullas, perhaps one of Cebu's three best governors of all time (with apologies to my good friend, Junjun Davide). So if events do not change their course, destiny is sealed. There are many things I cannot reveal now, but I am putting my reputation on the line. Barug has all the makings of a political comeback in 2019. With Mike and Edgar standing together, Osmeña will have to find a very strong financier to balance the flood of logistics from palace supporters.

I may be wrong, of course, but as of the moment, the crystal ball is clear to me. Many unexpected things are about to happen. They are quite earth-shaking, but don’t worry, they are peaceful, honest and democratic ways to assure a victory for Barug in Cebu. We need not fear these events. We just have to wait with great expectations and hopes.