THREE weeks before the May 9, 2022 elections, Cebu’s administration party, One Cebu, has announced its endorsement of the presidential bid of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the May 2022 elections.Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who leads the party, said their decision came after weeks of extensive consultations and discussions with provincial, municipal and barangay leaders in the 44 municipalities and seven cities, including Mandaue City.“We considered the differing opinions of party leaders advocating the causes of different presidential candidates, and have determined that the unity and strength of One Cebu, its ability to serve its constituents in the Province of Cebu, and ultimately, the interests of the Cebuanos are best served if we unite behind the leadership of BBM as President, and, as we have earlier announced, Mayor Sara Duterte as Vice President,” said Garcia in a statement on Tuesday, April 12.Step downFollowing the announcement, Deputy Speaker Pablo John “PJ” Garcia (Cebu, 3rd) stepped down as secretary-general of One Cebu to avoid a “conflict of interest” as he intends to continue actively campaigning for another presidential candidate, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso.Pablo John, the younger brother of One Cebu leader Garcia, said he cannot support One Cebu’s decision to endorse Marcos.Marcos is the son and namesake of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos who ruled the country for 20 years until his ouster in 1986 during the Edsa People Power Revolution.”From the start, I have been clear and consistent about my support for Mayor Isko Moreno’s candidacy for President, believing that he is, among the many choices, the most capable and best prepared to lead the country out of this many-pronged crisis that it now faces, and into the future,” Pablo John said.Pablo John said as he steps down as secretary general of One Cebu, Cebu Rep. Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon (Cebu, 6th) will replace him in the interim.Last December, the Pablo John expressed doubts about Marcos Jr.’s viability as a presidential candidate, even advising One Cebu not to consider supporting Marcos due to eight pending disqualification cases against the latter at the time.In his previous posts, Pablo John also hinted that he would not support Marcos’ candidacy, using the hashtag #NeverAgain, which has been widely used online to condemn the administration of Bongbong’s father.As of Feb. 10, 2022, the Commission on Elections had dismissed most of the petitions seeking to disqualify Marcos from the May elections in a ruling that removed a major obstacle to his candidacy, which human rights groups oppose.A final case remains pending, and petitioners of six dismissed cases have either appealed or intend to do so in a legal fight that will likely reach the Supreme Court.Difficult decisionOne Cebu formalized its endorsement of Marcos and Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio during its general assembly at the Sky Hall at SM Seaside City in Cebu City on Tuesday afternoon.In her speech, Garcia said everyone was aware of how difficult it was for her as a sister, mother and as One Cebu’s president, to decide on who to support for the two highest positions, particularly the presidency.Garcia said the decision could not be made by her alone, stressing that she needed the inputs and voice of its members down to the barangay level.She noted the party’s first convention, where majority expressed support for Marcos Jr. but the governor explained that she could not yet immediately announce a decision.“Gikinahanglan nga maipahiluna kana nato ang tanan kay dili ako buot nga mahitabo na sad pag-usab ang nahitabo kanato niadtong tuig 2010 (We need to put everything in order because I don’t want what happened to us in 2010 to happen again), because above all, beyond our political lives and political careers, family is most important and will always be my utmost priority,” she said.“Busa gipaningkamotan nako nga kung magkadilain man ang among mga hunahuna sa akong igsuon ug kanako ug sa akong pamilya, respetohay ta ug respetohan ko kana. (So if siblings, my family and I have different views, I strive for us to respect each other’s views.) We can agree to disagree. Above all, we will always agree that we love each other as brothers and sisters and as family,” Garcia added.The governor had said last November that in the previous election, One Cebu had made a premature decision to endorse national candidates without enough consultation, causing friction in the party and the family.The governor emphasized that in the last 15 years, the essence of One Cebu has been unity and it was serendipity that brought them together after 15 years, citing One Cebu and the BBM-Sara UniTeam.Garcia said they had brought the idea of One Cebu even further when the mayors of the tri-cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu that also want unity, also declared their support for the UniTeam.Let this be a One Cebu Island, she stressed.Marcos gratefulMarcos expressed gratitude for the ruling party’s support.“If you have joined us, then that is a significant step. One, to affirm that this is… what we should do,” Marcos said, adding that this is true victory of unifying the people.“I thank you, of course, from my personal point of view, for the show of support, for the show of trust that you have given me,” Marcos added.Duterte-Carpio also expressed her gratitude to all the leaders in the entire Cebu Province for their support for her candidacy.Also present during the event were Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and his slate, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and his slate, as well as Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan and Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr.Not surprisedFormer Cebu City administrator Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez told SunStar Cebu Tuesday that he was not surprised by One Cebu party’s endorsement of presidential aspirant Marcos.”I already expected it,” said Fernandez, who is running for vice mayor in Cebu City as an independent and supporting Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo’s bid for the presidency.He said there was no way for Governor Garcia to support the presidential bid of Robredo, who though running as an independent is still the Liberal Party’s chairman.Garcia had a history with politicians affiliated with the Liberal Party.In 2012, Governor Garcia was suspended by then President Benigno Aquino III for allegedly hiring consultants without the Provincial Board’s authority and hiring employees for the Office of the Vice Governor.At the time, the vice governor was Agnes Magpale, an ally of Aquino in the Liberal Party. Magpale served as acting governor.Expecting that other presidential aspirants would not drop out of the race to form a united opposition against Marcos, Fernandez said the ball is now in the hands of the voters and the fight for Duterte’s successor is now between Marcos and Robredo.As for local candidates like Mayor Rama supporting Marcos’ bid, Fernandez said in Cebuano: “We are in a democracy. Let us respect their decision.”Rama’s late uncle and journalist Napoleon Rama Sr. fought for democracy against the dictatorship of the elder Marcos and was jailed when Marcos Sr. declared martial law on Sept. 21, 1972.”They have their reasons,” Fernandez said.Leni supportersOther supporters of Robredo in Cebu were unfazed by the development.Lawyer Magdalena Lepiten, lead convenor of the Cebu for Leni group, said One Cebu’s endorsement of Marcos Jr. only showed there were cracks in their party.”We were expecting her to endorse BBM. But it only showed that there is disunity among the party’s members after PJ Garcia resigned as their secretary general because he supports Isko (rather) than BBM,” Lepiten told SunStar Cebu on Tuesday.Lepiten said One Cebu was expected to endorse Marcos and Duterte-Carpio in order to avail themselves of the campaign funds being used by the presidential and vice presidential candidates to bolster their respective campaigns in Cebu.Lepiten said she and other support groups for Robredo’s campaign were not worried.”We are not dependent on the endorsements of local politicians. We are dependent on grassroots and volunteer groups who are supporting Leni’s campaign,” Lepiten said.Lepiten said since last week, she and other support groups had been conducting house-to-house campaigns in various parts of Cebu to secure support for Robredo.They hope to show the fruits of their labor through a massive rally that will occur in Cebu on April 21, 2022. (MKG, JKV, KAL)