Editorial: One Cebu disunited?

Disunity is the word that’s apt to describe the current situation at One Cebu, the dominant administration party in the province as siblings Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Deputy Speaker Pablo John “PJ” Garcia (Cebu, 3rd) are supporting different presidential candidates in the May 9, 2022 polls.Governor Garcia and the rest of One Cebu support dictator’s son Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., while Congressman PJ supports the candidacy of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso. The governor’s daughter and PJ’s niece Liloan Mayor Christina Garcia-Frasco had earlier declared her support for Bongbong and vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio. It would be awkward for the governor to support a presidential bet not named Bongbong.One Cebu had been unequivocal in its endorsements of presidential candidates in at least two past presidential elections. It endorsed former defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro in the 2010 presidential race. Six years later, the party left its alliance with former Vice President Jejomar Binay and threw its support to the wildly popular Rodrigo Duterte, who eventually won the presidential elections.The 2022 general elections is a different political scenario as it is set against the backdrop of the coronavirus disease pandemic and the seemingly unstoppable onslaught of disinformation and misinformation on social media and newly sprouted news websites.Changes in alliances and breakups have continued to happen despite the elections happening in just less than 30 days. Such is the nature of Philippine politics: a never-ending carousel of loyalty.Congressman PJ has stepped down as One Cebu’s secretary general following the party’s decision.It took One Cebu nearly five months to officially endorse Marcos in the race for Malacañang. The party had promised to make its decision after the Nov. 15, 2021 substitution deadline but it failed to do so.Now, the question is: Would One Cebu’s endorsement of Bongbong bring him to victoryland at least here in Cebu, one of the vote-rich provinces in the Philippines?Teodoro lost to his cousin Benigno Aquino III in 2010. Had One Cebu not abandoned Binay in the 2016 presidential race, it would hold a 0-2 record in its presidential endorsement win-loss column.One Cebu’s endorsement record in at least two past presidential elections shows that it is the voice of the people, specifically the choice of the voters, that matters.Learned voters make their own decisions. Letting one’s self be overpowered by politicians’ voices is a mindless thing to do.As for the situation between Congressman PJ and his sister Governor Garcia, the two siblings could be united again after this fractious 2022 general elections. Remember there’s a saying that goes “blood is thicker than water.”