A lesson about Cebuanos, Sinulog and politicians

THIS IS in reaction to the news report titled “Binay greeted with boos at Sinulog grand parade” (Second Front Page, 1/18/15). The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), as a whole, must think the Cebuanos are a bunch of stupid provincianos if its leaders expect us to believe that the booing of Vice President Jejomar Binay was staged. These are the same people who said the Cebuanos walked out of the UNA rally last October because “it was too hot.”

Almost all complimentary tickets to the grandstand were distributed through the UNA-controlled Cebu City mayor’s office. If the Liberal Party were responsible for the booing, as UNA is claiming, then why didn’t the LP bring in Mar Roxas to be cheered? The LP has nothing to do with it.

Roxas didn’t show up. Grace Poe didn’t show up. Rody Duterte didn’t show up. Miriam Santiago didn’t show up. I suspect that this is because other than simply having delicadeza, they respect the Cebuanos and our intelligence more than Binay and his local allies ever will. They know that the Sinulog celebrates not some lowly presidential candidate but the Santo Niño, someone who has already won a long time ago.

Mike Rama (who politicized the Sinulog by making Binay the only presidential candidate to be invited not because he’s the Vice President but because they’re both from UNA and “para di magubot” or to avoid trouble) and Binay (who said he was going even if he wasn’t invited) clearly don’t understand that. But I’m proud the Cebuanos do!

We are Cebuanos. We pride ourselves in our intelligence and integrity. Just look at our voting history. We never voted for movie stars or show biz personalities. We will certainly not vote for a billionaire politician who installed toilets for P32,000 each in Makati’s parking lot.

Cebuanos are a very hospitable people. But understand that this is the Sinulog Festival, not the Sinulog campaign rally.

Let this be a lesson to any politician who tries to exploit the Sinulog especially during an election year: Come to Cebu thinking that we’re fools, and Cebu will “Say Boo!” to you.

—TOMAS R. OSMEÑA, former Cebu city mayor and congressman