Cuenco turns down invite to join forces with Kusug

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City South District Rep. Antonio “Tony” Cuenco has finally rejected the invitation of the local opposition party, Kugi Uswag Sugbu (Kusug).

 The congressman has been persistently lured by the opposition to join them after his relationship with Mayor Tomas Osmeña soured.

Cuenco used to be an ally of the ruling Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).

The congressman was accused of abandoning the barangay captains allied to the BOPK when he left for the United States on October 2007 during the barangay elections.

Cuenco said that he had to leave the country to seek treatment for vertigo.

Osmeña could not accept the congressman’s explanation and kicked him out of the party.

Cuenco has been courted by businessman Jonathan Guardo, his opponent in the 2007 elections, and former mayor Alvin Garcia, chairman of Kusug.

“Gisigihan ko ug awhag ni Atan Guardo ug ni Alvin Garcia, wa man ko makombinsir, wa man nako dawata, dili ko mag-apil-apil sa local politics kay gubot pa kaayo ang politika diha, mas gubot pa kay sa lukot,” Cuenco said.

The congressman said that he prefers to support and campaign for Senator Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III, who is running for president in 2010.

Incidentally, lawyer Aristotle “Totol” Batuhan, who recently bolted Kusug, is also supporting the presidential bid of Aquino.

Batuhan ran and lost against Cuenco in the 2001 and 2004 elections.

Opposition leaders in the city, however, remain optimistic that they can still field a strong line up for next year’s elections even without Batuhan and Cuenco.

Guardo, who is again going to run for congressman of the South District, said, “Kami sa oposisyon are definitely going to field a strong line-up in the 2010 elections.”

Lawyer Raymond Garcia, another member of Kusug, earlier said that his father, the former mayor, is open to the idea of running again for mayor in next year’s elections.

When sought for comment, Mayor Osmeña said that he will not meddle in the internal problems of the opposition, whom he has tagged as “a group of recycled losers.”

“Kung naa silay problema ila ra na, dili ko modaut anang ilang internal nga away, usahay lang gyud mura sila ug akong spokesperson dili ko parehas nila,” Osmeña said. — Elly Bolonos/NLQ   (FREEMAN NEWS)