Cebu Vote: Good manners or lack of it

There is one thing that has been left out of the discussion in the unprecedented and historic manner in which Cebu voted in the general election of May 9, 2022. And it is how good manners, or the lack of it, may have influenced the ballot, how it swung one way and not the other. Both in the battle for the top position in the province and in the nation. And it has something to do with Cebu's greatest governor, Gwen Garcia.

But first a caveat. While I consider Gwen a friend, I really am not in a position to say things about her with absolute certainty. At best my impressions will not go far beyond mere second-guesses. But to me the avalanche of 1.4 million votes Gwen secured for herself and the 1.2 million votes she promised and delivered for Bongbong Marcos are partly due to good manners, or the lack of it, in some people.

First, the local election for the top position in the province, which Gwen won with 1.4 million votes, unheard of until May 9. And the wonder of it is that Gwen actually wanted it that way. She had a chip on her shoulder going into the election. She wanted to prove something, wanted to jaw it at some people. It wasn't about rival Ace Durano who she knew she can beat handily, and did.

Gwen worked hard for her 1.4 million votes because some people who are supposed to be professionals did not have the good manners to respect her and her office during the most difficult time in her public life --the COVID-19 pandemic. If they had issues with her crisis governance, they could have sought an audience. But no, they just had to shame her, humiliate her, even threatening to slap her.

What these people did not know was that, maldita though she may be, if you respect Gwen, she respects you back. But if you want to pick a fight she isn't one to back down or make excuses. Not only did she give her tormentors a dose of their own medicine during the pandemic but, with the memory of an elephant, she made sure after the election they didn't forget what they did. With 1.4 million votes, she says to them: O, ha!

Now to the national election and Gwen making good on her promise to deliver more than a million votes for Bongbong. She could just have promised her support like most politicians do and that would have been it. But Gwen went out on a limb and promised an actual number. Then she worked hard to deliver. And she did. Why? Because BBM had been nice to her, treated her with respect, something she didn't get from Leni.

When Leni Robredo came to Cebu, it was not just happenstance. She came with a purpose. She came to court its more than three million votes, the most among all the 81 provinces in the country. When you come to a place that is not your own, it is good manners to say "maayo" or "tao po" or whatever it is you have to say or do as a sign of courtesy and respect. That is being Filipino.

But Leni didn't have it in her to pay Gwen the respect and courtesy that she deserves as governor of Cebu. To Leni it was all politics. To her, politics and good manners do not mix. And so, while she spent so much time with her ally Vice Governor Junjun Davide, there was not a minute or two for Gwen if just to say hi. With an election up ahead, it is tragic to show bad manners to someone with the memory of an elephant.

Again, it would have been enough for Gwen to just promise support for BBM and let the chips fall where they may. That way, Leni could have picked more votes than the thrashing she got. Because Gwen would not have worked as hard as she did, not just to deliver for Bongbong, but to make sure those who did not give her some courtesy would get trashed. You see, it always pays to have good manners