Are Parañaque Mayor Florencio “Jun” Bernabe Jr.’s supporters setting him up for  political suicide?

This is the nagging question that Parañaque residents sympathetic to the mayor are desperately trying to decipher.

The question was triggered by talks in the City Hall that the mayor’s brother, Roland, may have already filed his certificate of candidacy for the congressional contest in the city’s first district—a move Bernabe sympathizers say is virtual political hara kiri on the part of the mayor. Reason: not only is Roland seriously lacking in ability to win against two formidable potential rivals; he is also the biggest “evidence” that there is a plot to turn Parañaque into Bernabe City, as claimed by the mayor’s political nemeses.

In our column a week ago, we sought to make the mayor aware of the backlash that such a move might create. His political foes have already formed a strong phalanx in the bid to unseat him. The Olivarez clan led by defeated Laguna gubernatorial candidate Edwin has launched a proxy war against Bernabe by backing graduating first district congressman Ed Zialcita in the mayoralty contest.

Former mayor Joey Marquez has announced his own bid to retake Parañaque City Hall and is reportedly convincing Zialcita to withdraw and run as his vice mayor, with Olivarez as congressman. A master stroke if they can succeed because the trio can now consolidate their forces to ensure that mayor Bernabe loses his City Hall job in next year’s election.

It may be good for the mayor to remember that in politics, “all of my enemy’s enemies are my friends.”

The anti-Bernabe phalanx has latched to only one credible issue: a Bernabe political dynasty.

In fairness to the mayor, his performance track record is, at the very least, laudable. Many will vouch for his character and personal integrity. His industriousness in his executive tasks is beyond question.

 It should be pointed out that his political enemies are not willing to make any direct accusations against Bernabe and they resort to questions, instead of statements, against the mayor.

The best defense that can be presented for the defense of Bernabe is the letter from no less than Zialcita himself absolving Bernabe of all the accusations leveled against him. Of course that letter was written when Bernabe and Zialcita were still allies and it is now Zialcita making the same accusations against the Parañaque mayor.

Unfortunately, the goodwill that the mayor has built is under serious threat of major erosion in the face of the “Family Inc.” issue. And it seems there is consensus that among the issues that will be thrown in his direction, this is the one that will really hurt and perhaps pave the way for the return of the Olivarezes to power through a win either by the proxy Zialcita or Marquez.

And the question is why Roland Bernabe is helping fuel the issue against his poor mayor-brother.

It may interest the good mayor to know that a group purportedly identified with his brother Roland has reportedly conducted a survey intended to convince the mayor that his brother is “winnable.”

That piece of development—if true—is comforting to the mayor’s sympathizers. The view is that if Roland’s group feels that they have to do a survey, that means Mayor Bernabe himself remains unconvinced about his brother’s chances.

Ergo, there is a slight possibility that Mayor Bernabe might still do the right thing and decide not to allow his controversial brother to run in the First District contest.

But the reported survey also appears to bring bad news. According to reports from several Parañaque communities, that survey may have deliberately asked dubious questions aimed at railroading results. For example, some residents were reportedly surprised that one of Roland’s potential rivals, young broadcast journalist Ed Javier, is referred to in the survey as “Eduardo Flavier.”

Therefore, to the question “would you vote for Eduardo Flavier?” the respondent would definitely say “no” because he does not know such a person. The name of the First District sensation whom Roland might have to contend with is Ed Javier, not Eduardo Flavier.

Whether or not the erroneous reference was deliberate, the results of such a survey would be invalid. And if the mayor has been shown the results, he better ask the survey team about the questions that were asked. His genuine sympathizers are worried that the mayor is being misled.

If it is any consolation, Mayor Bernabe should know that many among his constituents admire him and wish him well. And, if he makes the right moves, he would definitely be the man to beat in the mayoralty contest in 2010.

But the good mayor has to realize that the political goodwill that he has painstakingly built among the people of Parañaque is not automatically transferable. It is specific to Jun Bernabe, and not to anyone else who sports the same family name.

Perhaps our politicians also have to realize that the days of political dynasties in Metro Manila may be over. The Atienzas of Manila had to learn the bitter lesson in 2004. The same is true for former Caloocan Mayor Rey Malonzo who fielded his wife against incumbent Mayor Recom Echiverri. Graduating Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte has wisely avoided that costly mistake by not fielding one of his children to succeed him. Same thing with Mayor Jojo Binay who can well field his councilor son or his congresswoman daughter as mayor but has instead thrown his all-out support to Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado.

What is a fact is that the people of Parañaque are averse to political dynasties. The Olivarezes knew that. And this is why people are puzzled that Mayor Bernabe appears to be set to commit the costly mistake.

As mentioned in our column last week, the prayer of those who genuinely admire and support Mayor Bernabe remains the same: that he may just opt to declare the city’s First District a “free zone,” meaning, he will not field a weak candidate who would only lend credence to the political dynasty issue he is facing today.

Or, he might wish to look for a non-relative who could at least give his bitter nemeses—the Olivarezes—a decent fight while demolishing the political dynasty accusation.

If he opts for the latter, he can turn the tables around and throw the dynasty issue back to his political nemeses. Eric Olivarez, the vice governor’s younger brother, is an incumbent councilor and is seeking re-election. Joey’s son, Jeremy, is the incumbent barangay captain of BF.

But his admirers and sympathizers can only pray.

The good mayor will still have to consult his own conscience when he makes his final decision.

This could be the start of the end of one of Parañaque’s better administrations—or the beginning of another three years of the admired Jun Bernabe leadership, something that he alone can claim and which he cannot transfer to other family members.