I live in the north of Cebu city. This means I have two choices for congressman, or should I say congresswoman.

One is Cutie del Mar, daughter of incumbent Rep. Raul del Mar. I know nothing of Cutie del Mar. Her name suddenly popped up as a candidate to represent my district in Congress.

The other is Mary Ann de los Santos. She’s the Barangay Captain of Lahug and a nemesis of Mayor Tommy Osmeña. But she’s a competent leader. Proof of this is her numerous awards as a public servant.

She’s also feisty. I’m an avid supporter of Tommy Osmeña, who is perceived as arrogant, but only because he’s a strong leader. So it is with admiration I saw de los Santos stand up to him in defense of her leadership and barangay. If she can do this for her barangay, she can do this for her district if elected to Congress.

My only problem with de los Santos is her choice of party. She belongs to the group identified with former mayor Alvin Garcia, who had done nothing for Cebu city. I once casually met Garcia in a public function and he was reeking of alcohol and his speech was already slurred. And this was around noontime! I was glad I didn’t vote for him and vowed never to do so.

De los Santos is also currently identified with Manny Villar and the Nacionalista Party. Villar is a perceived liar and is desperate to become President of the Philippines. It makes you wonder why and it’s not difficult to conclude it’s not to serve his fellowmen.

Nevertheless, it is hoped that de los Santos is ready to sacrifice party affiliations for the good of her district. Her awards and a look at the progressive Barangay Lahug tell me so.

On the other hand we have Cutie del Mar. She may be qualified to run for Congress, but her family name rings loud "dynasty" bells. Current Congressman Raul "Mayabang" del Mar says he is not establishing a political dynasty and that voters are free to elect whoever they wish.

Yeah, right! But when you have power and resources that lesser mortals don’t have, family members have more than a yeoman’s chance of being elected. Raul del Mar was elected congressman right after People Power. When his term expired, money and clout helped his son become congressman. After one term, Raul was eligible again to run and won. Now his second term is coming to an end, so he’s letting his daughter run. Not a dynasty? My foot!

But what really is despicable about Raul del Mar is he’s a staunch supporter of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Will Cutie del Mar be any different? Also, the del Mars are vandals (read this post).

So, come election time, who am I voting for? Let’s just say this: I’m not voting for dynasty!