All Quiet in the Cebu front prior to the barangay polls

Compared to nearby Negros Oriental, politics in Cebu is experiencing so much serenity to the level of being boring. Nothing earthshaking is going to happen. Most elections will be uneventful because in many barangays, there are no opponents. In most villages, the results are already foregone conclusions. Whoever the trapos endorse, the people follow. Of course, there are pockets of tremors in some villages but there will be no blood or fireworks on election day.

Cebu is strong, sound, and silent under the Dragon Lady from Dumanjug and Barili, Governor Gwen. There is no opposition and if there is one or two, they are never heard or seen. To me, this can be both good and bad. Good because One Cebu means power in united action, synergy, teamsmanship, alliance, and cooperation. But it can be bad too because there is no check and balance. But anyway, this is an LGU and not the Senate or the House. The province needs unity under a decisive, bold, and daring leader who, many events have proven in the past, cannot be bullied by Imperial Manila.

Cebu Province comprises one big main island and 167 smaller islands including Mactan, Bantayan, Malapascua, Olango, and Camotes Islands. It has three chartered cities; Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu, and six component cities; Talisay, Carcar, Naga, Bogo, Toledo, and Danao and 44 municipalities. There are seven congressional districts, two districts in Cebu City and one each for Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue. Cebu has 11 representatives in the House. They are so peace-loving that we never heard any of them making waves in Congress like how the late deputy speaker Pablo Garcia used to regale us with amazing speeches and commendable expertise in parliamentary rules and procedures. Cebu is quiet and the congressmen are all silent.

Cebu’s 1st District, the biggest in population and the highest in income, is represented by a young lady, Rhea Mae Gullas, first termer and wife of Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas. It has a population of 809,335 and comprises the cities of Talisay, Carcar, and Naga and the towns of Sibonga, San Fernando and Minglanilla. The 2nd District, with a population of 257,658 is represented by a multi-millionaire contractor and businessman, also a first-termer, Edsel Galeos from Argao. I call this district ADABOSS for its constituent towns of Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander and Samboan. The 3rd District is represented by the younger brother of the governor, a multi-termer, Bar topnotcher Pablo John Garcia. It has a population of 616,326 and covers Toledo City and the towns of Aloguinsan, Asturias, Balamban, Barili, Pinamungajan, and Tuburan.

The 4th District is represented by Janice Salimbangon, the widow of a former congressman representing the same district. With a population of 540,814, it covers Bogo City and the towns of Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Madridejos, Medellin, San Remigio, Santa Fe, Tabogon, and Tabuelan. The governor's favorite son-in-law, Duke Frasco, husband of the Tourism Secretary Christina, represents the 5th District, which used to be the impregnable Durano Empire. With a population of 643,946, it comprises Danao City and the towns of Borbon, Carmen, Catmon, Compostela, Liloan, Pilar, Poro, San Francisco, Sogod, and Tudela. Daphne Lagon, wife of a party-list congressman, represents the small constituency of the 6th District comprising only the small town of Consolacion and the smaller town of Cordova which are not even contiguous to each other. It has a small population of 218,607 after Mandaue City became an independent city. This is the best example of gerrymandering.