Sidestep
While probably not unprecedented, the decision of Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III to slide down to vice governor despite his still being eligible to run for another term is most certainly unusual, especially in the Philippines, where there is now even a proposal to do away with term limits.
So why did Davide slide down to trade places with his vice governor, Agnes Magpale? Magpale certainly does not particularly relish the job. At one time she even said she had a mind to already call it quits from politics. But apparently Davide managed to persuade her not just to hang on but to actually run for governor, with him as her running mate.
Now, no matter how Davide may hem and haw about the real reason for the swap, the unassailable fact is that it has everything to do with who is running for governor from the other side. And that happens to be former governor and current Third District Rep. Gwen Garcia.
Garcia herself is still good for a third term but apparently could not wait to reclaim her old seat at the Capitol. A Davide-Garcia showdown would have been a terrific political narrative. Not that Davide really has a real fighting chance against Garcia but that there is so much bad blood between the two that Cebuanos would not have had it any other way if it can be helped.
But Davide is not dumb despite what other unflattering adjectives you think may be appropriate to describe him. He has seen the writing on the wall and does not want to give Garcia the pleasure of kicking him out. Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, he has, or maybe the people around him have found a means to hit not just two but many birds with one stone.
Scenario One: Garcia wins but so does Davide. As vice governor, Davide has some measure of control over the provincial board and can cause trouble for Garcia’s legislative agenda. Scenario Two: Both Magpale and Davide win. Davide can rule in tandem with or through Magpale, who does not want the job anyway.
Scenario Three: Magpale and Davide win. Somewhere down the line, Magpale, who never really wanted the job anyway, quits and rides off to her political retirement. That allows Davide to be governor again without a sweat. Scenario Four: Magpale and Davide lose. No problem. That was written on the wall, remember?
The important thing is that, if Davide loses, whether alone or with Magpale, it cannot be said as a matter of record that he lost to Garcia. Davide is prepared to lose to anybody, just not to his sworn enemy. Of course these are all conjectures of mine. But I do think they are not really off or wild as some may think.
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