The vanishing Osmeñas, Cuencos, and Duranos

There are no more Osmeñas, Don Sergio and his son Serging died many decades ago, Sonny is dead, I don’t know where is Lito and Minnie are. Serge didn’t make it to the Senate after a number of attempts. Tom is just waiting around the corner. But the glorious days in history when the Osmeñas dominated Cebu politics is over, sad to say. The Osmeñas aren’t really bad people.

Don Sergio Osmeña is the greatest Cebuano of all time. He became president after Manuel Quezon died in 1944. Don Sergio was former fiscal, governor, congressman, and senator, an honest man who never enriched himself in office. He was very patient with his old buddy, Quezon. They were classmates in UST Law. Don Sergio placed second in the Bar and Quezon fourth. Don Sergio founded the Nacionalista Party and should have been the presidential bet in 1935 but gave way to Quezon. They had a love-hate relationship, bickering just like Tom and Mike before, and like Edgar and Mike now. But they always made up. They were statesmen and not the trapos of today. Don Sergio was beaten by his younger partymate Don Manuel Roxas who bolted the NP and founded the LP. Don Sergio lost by a thousand votes. He delivered only one campaign speech and even praised Roxas. He attended Roxas oath-taking.

Cebuanos always loved Serging because he was a good thinker and planner. If not for Serging, we wouldn’t have a reclamation project. He fought the triumvirate of Congressmen Ramon Durano, Tereso Dumon of the north, and Manuel Zosa of the south. He also fought Ed Kintanar from the old fourth district. Serging always won the mayorship of Cebu City, no one could beat him. He kept on running and then allowed his vice mayors to take over. But martial law destroyed his empire and he had to hide in the US. I was a Youth for Osmeña volunteer and we rallied the students to support Serging against Marcos, but lost.

I also miss the Cuencos who also made us proud as Cebuanos. Tony Cuenco passed away, he was a great congressman, a fighter against drugs. His last position was councilor and I met him in USP in Lahug, when Vice Mayor Mike Rama, exactly a year ago, tasked me to give the annual Don Vicente Rama Lecture before youths and academicians. Tony Cuenco listened to my lecture for almost two hours and applauded from the front row. He was seated with the family of Don Vicente and we had tea and coffee after. He complimented me for my lecture and my columns here, as well as about my lecture series via digital platforms. I like Tony, He was a good orator and his voice was really for the airwaves, booming, baritone, but well-modulated. Much earlier, Tony lost to my dear ninong, Eddie Gul when the two fought tooth and nail way back in the early ‘70s for the old third district, which is now the first. Tony lost by less than a hundred votes. He accepted defeat after a bitter protest.

Don Mariano Jesus Cuenco was kingpin of the old fifth district. He was also well known and much respected in the national scene as he became Senate president. The Cuencos allied with the Duranos before the historic Osmeña-Cuenco fusion. The Durano Empire in the first district was impregnable. Ramon Durano tried to dominate the whole province by fielding his wife Beatriz Duterte Durano to run against Dr. Osmundo Rama, the uncle of Mike. Mrs. Durano was beaten because the Osmeñas supported Rama. But Durano's alliance with other Nacionalista congressmen in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh districts made the Osmeñas control of Cebu City and the old second district quite precarious. His only ally was the congressmen from the third district long before Eddie Gul came to dominate that district, which is now the first district, except Sibonga. The only man who was able to break the Durano Empire was Duke Frasco from Liloan.

Well, Don Sergio was beaten by Roxas, Serging was beaten by Marcos, just as Marcos was ousted by Cory. Tony Cuenco was beaten by Eddie Gul. The Duranos were conquered by Duke Frasco. That’s how the political cookie crumbles. Every king will eventually meet his nemesis. Every warrior his Waterloo. Goliath died in the hands of David. There is always a Rubicon to cross. And, in simple words, “walang forever”.