The caliber of Cebu’s post-martial law congressmen

The only living member of Congress who was elected prior to martial law and who still represents the same district, is my idol in public service, the truly honorable Eduardo Rivera Gullas of the biggest and the richest congressional district, the first, with three cities, Talisay, Naga, and Carcar, and the big municipalities of Minglanilla, San Fernando, and Sibonga. I coined an acronym for the components LGUs, MinSan Si CarNaTa, or Minglanilla, San Fernando, Sibonga, Carcar, Naga, and Talisay.

The 1st District of Cebu has elected since 1987 Antonio Bacaltos, Eduardo R. Gullas, Jose R. Gullas, and Gerald Anthony V. Gullas, Jr. The 2nd District, before it was split, was composed of 15 component towns, from Argao in the southeast to Dumanjug in the southwest, from 1987, elected Sol Abines, Simeon L. Kintanar, Pablo P. Garcia. Then it was split into two. The 2nd District, I call ADABOSS or Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander, and Samboan, has Rep. Willy Caminero as the incumbent. He is term limited and cannot run again in 2022. He is running for Argao mayor. The other half, the 7th District, I call DRAMMBAG or Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Malabuyoc, Badian, Alegria and Ginatilan, elected Peter John Calderon, who is running for the third time in 2022 unopposed.

The present 3rd District elected Pablo Garcia, John H. Osmeña, Antonio Yapha, Pablo John Garcia, and Gwendolyn Garcia. Today Pablo John is incumbent and also a deputy speaker. The 4th District has elected Celestino Martinez Jr., Clavel Martinez, Benhur Salimbangon, and Janice Salimbangon. The 5th District today, which used to be the 1st District prior to martial law, elected Ramon Durnao III, Joseph Felix Mari S. Durano, Ramon H. Durano VI, and Vincent Franco D. Frasco. The 6th District today elected Vicente L. dela Serna, Nerissa Soon Ruiz, Efren Herrera, Gabriel Luis Quisumbing, Jonas Cortes, and Emmarie M. Ouano Dizon.

Cebu City North District since 1987 was only under one congressman, the late Raul del Mar, for nine terms, interrupted only in 2010 to 2013, when he was replaced by his daughter Rachel Marguerite B. del Mar. After the death of Congressman del Mar, the district was under the stewardship of Speaker Alan Velasco as caretaker. Cebu South District used to be represented by Antonio V. Cuenco, Nancy R. Cuenco, Tomas R. Osmeña, and Rodrigo A. Abellanosa. The Radazas controlled the lone district of Lapu-Lapu City since its creation in 2010, Arturo Radaza, daughter Aileen Radaza, and wife Paz, the incumbent.

The quality of the current members of Congress, compared to their illustrious predecessors prior to Martial Law, with due respect, in terms of performance, quality of legislations, participations in plenary proceedings and committee deliberations, I am sad to note, that we have not seen any sparks of greatness in the levels of the Osmeñas, Sottos, Ramas, Cuencos and the caliber of Deputy Speaker Pabling Garcia. Among the incumbents, only two can be considered really outstanding: Congressman Eddie Gullas of the 1st District (he is retiring) and Pablo John of the 3rd District. Very promising is Duke Frasco of the 5th District. We have never heard from the rest. Many of them are members of the Committee on Silence and Famous Anonymity. May their tribe perish or at the very least, decrease.

Cebuano solons need to show the famous Cebu brand of the Sottos and the Cuencos, Osmeñas, and Don Vicente Rama. The young ones are hungry for inspiration. They have not seen any from the incumbents. I hope the 2022 polls shall bring in the best and the brightest. The Cebuanos deserve nothing less.