REP. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south district) visited Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia last Tuesday afternoon to seek her endorsement so he can be appointed ambassador to Italy.

“Yes, she wholeheartedly gave her support and endorsement. He went to see the governor to seek her endorsement of his appointment as ambassador. I just happened to be there,” said the governor’s brother, Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu Province, 3rd district), in a text message.

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Cuenco is finishing his third successive term in Congress and can no longer seek reelection in 2010. He has also said he will keep his hands off Cebu City politics, but will campaign in the Visayas and Mindanao for his presidential candidate, who cannot speak Cebuano.

Cuenco made no categorical endorsement during his visit to the Capitol but, according to Congressman Garcia, said he admired administration candidate and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro’s credentials and integrity.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he could not understand why Cuenco wants to be ambassador of Italy when “it’s so expensive” compared to, say, New Zealand.
“Congrats, no problem with me…. (But) I don’t know why anyone wants to be ambassador of Italy. It’s so expensive. I thought he wanted New Zealand, which is quieter and has many Filipino overseas workers.”

“The most lucrative ambassadorship I can think of is Taiwan, because there is a lot of money going into the ambassador’s office from the Filipino contract workers.

Millions. And they are not covered by the COA (Commission on Audit) because we don’t recognize Taiwan (as a separate country),” Osmeña said.

After ending his “meditation” and deciding last month not to run for Cebu City mayor, Cuenco said he has decided to join the foreign service once he leaves Congress next year.

Cuenco has said that having chaired the House of Representatives’ committee on foreign affairs for the past six years, he is familiar with the diplomatic community.
He was also chairman of the committee on appointments’ sub-committee on foreign affairs.

In his press conference yesterday, Osmeña did not give a categorical answer when asked about a possible reconciliation with Cuenco, saying he really has nothing personal against the former ally.

“There is no real personal animosity between Tony and I. I just did not find him politically reliable,” he said.

The mayor is still sore over Cuenco’s departure for the US at the height of the 2007 barangay elections, when he sought treatment for his vertigo. Osmeña had accused Cuenco of abandoning barangay officials who were his allies, which Cuenco had denied by presenting receipts of funds he gave to south district barangay election candidates.