Easter for the politics of Old Cebu

In less than 20 days, the whole nation shall vote. What is the quality of our politics today compared to the yesteryears?

In the olden times in Cebu, you were either an Osmeñista or a Nacionalista or a Cuencista, Liberal. The Osmeñas and Cuencos were like water and oil. Their followers ambushed and killed each other.

When I say Old Cebu, I refer to the era after the 1946 Philippine independence up to Martial Law. I don’t claim to venture farther than 1901 up to July 4, 1946. Manuel Roxas of Capiz of the newly-founded Liberal Party defeated Cebu's grand old man, Don Sergio Osmeña Sr., founder of the Nacionalista Party. Roxas died in office and was replaced by his vice president Elpidio Quirino.

Quirino, a Liberal, was defeated in 1953, by his own Defense secretary, Ramon Magsaysay, who turned Nacionalista. But Magsaysay died in a 1957 plane crash in Cebu, and was replaced by his vice president from Talibon, Bohol, Carlos P. Garcia. Garcia won his own term but his second attempt was defeated in 1961 by Diosdado Macapagal, a Liberal from Pampanga, father of GMA. Marcos, a newly-recruited Nacionalista, defeated Macapagal in 1965. Marcos also defeated Serging Osmeña, a Liberal, in 1969, in one of the bloodiest and dirtiest elections in Philippine history.

For the longest time the Osmeña allies and Cuenco loyalists fought each other. Later, however, the Osmeñas and Cuencos united under the Liberal, and their common enemy was Ramon Durano, Nacionalista, of the old 1st District with the latter's allies including Isidro Kintanar of the old 4th District, Manuel Zosa of the old 6th District, and Tereso Dumon of the old 7th District in the north. The Osmeñas and Cuencos controlled Cebu City and the 2nd District which then included Cebu City, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and the towns up to Compostela.

The old Cebu 1st District, dominated by Ramon Durano and later by his children and grandchildren, comprised Bogo, Borbon, Carmen, Danao, Pilar, Poro, San Francisco, Sogod, and Tudela. The old 2nd District, which was Osmeña turf was composed of Cebu City, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Liloan, Compostela, Consolacion and Cordova. The old 3rd District extended from Talisay, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando and Carcar. The kingpin was Osmeña ally Mining Noel. The 4th District, was composed of Sibonga, Argao, Alcoy and Dalaguete, dominated by Durano ally Isidro Kintanar.

The 5th District was the kingdom of the Cuencos, allied with Osmeña, comprising Boljoon, Oslob, Santander, Samboan, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Alegria, Badian, Moalboal, and Alcantara. The 6th District, under the domination of Manuel Zosa, a Durano ally, started from Ronda, Dumanjug, Barili, Aloguinsan, Pinamungajan up to Toledo City. The old 7th district under another Durano ally, Tereso Dumon, were Balamban, Asturia, Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Medellin, Tubiran, Tabuelan, San Remegio, Maddridejos, and Santa Fe.

As a result of the 1987 Constitution, the con-com commissioners created the current districts. The 1st District is the same as the old 3rd district, except that Sibonga was added from, the old fourth. The original 2nd District was composed of 15 towns all the way from southeast Argao to southwest Dumanjug. Later, with Congressman Pabling Garcia and Willy Caminero dividing the large turf into two, the second and seventh.

The remaining towns of the current 2nd District are Argao Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander, and Samboan. The new seventh is composed of Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Malabuyoc, Badian, Alegria, and Ginatilan. The 3rd District is part of old sixth, which includes Barili, Aloguinsan, Pinamungajan, Toledo, Balamban, Asturia, and Tuburan. Today's 4th district is practically the old 7th district, composed of Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Madridejos, Medellin, San Remegio, Santa Fe, Tabogon, and Tabuelan.

The current 5th District was the old 1st District with few changes, and now has Borbon, Carmen, Catmon, Compostela, Liloan, Pilar, Poro, San Francisco, Sogod, and Tudela. With Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu as chartered cities, the 6th District today is only composed of Consolacion and Cordova which aren’t even contiguous. The politics of old Cebu was dominated by kingpins in their fiefdoms.

Today, nothing much has changed, except that the Duranos, Kintanars, Zosas, and Dumons are extinct. The most dominant today are the Garcias. Sooner or later, another clan may take over. There is no forever. If even the Osmeñas, Cuencos, and Duranos are gone, newer dynasties will no longer last more than 20 years.

The quality of our politics today, still dominated by traditional politicians, has gone down to the lowest level. I’m not very optimistic about the future of our country and people.