Gwen Garcia's wrong move

“And so, without a sword, David defeated and killed the giant Goliath with a sling and a stone.”-1 Samuel 17: 50

- Atty. Ruphil Bañoc

What happened in the recently-concluded election in Cebu reads like a work of fiction. Many can hardly believe it became reality. Governor Gwen Garcia, the long-reigning political titan of the province, has fallen --not to a seasoned political rival, not to a wealthy contender, but to a neophyte: Pamela Baricuatro.

My initial observation during this midterm election was that Garcia's reelection bid would be a walk in the park. I did not even bother to look into her opponents, assuming they lacked political pedigree. I thought the election was just a formality of Garcia's new mandate.

To be honest, I met Baricuatro for the first time only last month when I invited her to my “Straight to the Point” radio program aired over station dyHP and Ifm. I decided to interview her after the news broke that the NBI had summoned her and the DSWD had filed a case against her.