Vice President Leni Robredo's coming to Cebu today for the third time is a sign that Cebu is a crucial battleground. In 2016, VP Leni defeated Marcos. In Cebu, he trounced Marcos by 500,000 votes. VP Leni won despite the fact that Governor Gwen was batting for Alan Peter Cayetano, VP Leni got 807,000 votes compared to Cayetano's 500,000 and Marcos' only 307,000. This election, if two million will cast their votes out of 2.3 million, and VP Leni gets at least 1.1 million of that, then goodbye, BBM.
If the Cebuanos defied the governor in 2016, it means that Leni is so valuable to Cebu and that we Sugboanons believe in her competence, commitment, character, and compassion. It means that Cebuanos do not follow the governor when it comes to the top national posts. Cebuanos use their own free will. VP Leni will definitely win in Cebu. She will win the 1st District, in the 2nd District, in the 4th District, 6th District, and the 7th District. Isko may carry the 3rd District because of the support of Deputy Speaker Pablo John Garcia. Marcos may win in the 5th District because the Frascos are for him. But if Ace shifts to Leni, the vice president will also carry the 5th District. VP Leni will win in Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Talisay City.
Cebuanos are a strong-willed and independent-minded people. They are not easily hoodwinked, cajoled, or bribed by dirty trapos and congenital purveyors of greedy family dynasties. Remember that it was Lapu-Lapu who was the first Asian to kill a western invader. It was Leon Kilat who made the Spanish run and hide in Fort San Pedro. It was the Pusyon Bisaya that was the only opposition party that stood brave and successful during the martial law years. It was Serging Osmeña who bravely challenged Marcos in 1969, even if fellow Cebuanos conspired against him and handed Cebu Province over to the dictator. It was in Cebu where Nene Pimentel founded PDP, which the Duterte-Cusi pretenders bastardized and turned into a company union.
The southern districts of Cebu, the home of both Governor Gwen and Vice Governor Junjun, delivered an overwhelming victory to VP Leni in 2016 despite the fact that both the governor and the congressmen there did not support her. Marcos was defeated by VP Leni in Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander, and Samboan. Marcos was also defeated by VP Leni in Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Malabuyoc, Badian, Alegria, and Ginatilan. Marcos did not win in a single town in the south, neither did Cayetano despite the fact that Alan Peter was the teammate of president Duterte and both of them were strongly supported by the governor.
In 2016, VP Leni got more votes than Marcos in Talisay, San Fernando, Carcar, Sibonga, Naga, and Minglanilla. VP Leni defeated Marcos in almost all cities including Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Talisay, Toledo, Naga, Carcar, and Bogo. Only Danao is loyal to the Marcoses. VP Leni even got more votes than Marcos in Liloan, the home base of the Frascos, where the mayor is the daughter of the governor and the congressman is the son-in-law. Cebuanos love the governor. In fact, Gwen will win big over Ace. But their love for Gwen will not compel them to swallow Marcos. Sara may win a little over Tito and Kiko but BBM will never win in Cebu.
It is already settled that Marcos will lose to Leni in Cebu. The only question is by how many votes. If VP Leni gets 200,000 votes each in the first and the sixth districts, and garner 150,000 in the fourth and at least 100,000 in the second, fifth, and seventh districts, that will bring her to victory in Cebu Province, in addition to big wins in Cebu City, Talisay City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City. That means, goodbye to Marcos in Cebu. Then goodbye to Marcos in the whole country.