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Saturday, January 14, 2006
Cuenco pledges P1M each for 14 bry. chiefs
By Linette C. Ramos
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
It was neither a loyalty check nor an early election campaign but a thanksgiving in honor of the Sto. Niño.
That was how Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south district) described his meeting with 14 barangay chiefs from his district at his residence yesterday, where he promised each one of them P1 million worth of projects.
Cuenco invited the mountain barangay captains for lunch, which was preceded by a meeting where projects and the needs of the barangays were discussed.
He was quick to say, though, that it was not a political activity but a thanksgiving lunch that he holds annually.
In the same meeting, Cuenco told his allies that he will give their barangays P1 million each when the first tranche of his Priority Development Assistance Fund is released this March.
“Wala gyu’y politika ani. We’re just here to celebrate the feast of the Sto. Niño and discuss barangay projects because I want to focus on projects instead of politics,” he announced to the reporters who covered the meeting.
The regional directors of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Agriculture were also invited to brief the village chiefs of the status of projects in their barangays.
Guardo’s plan
Among the projects that will be completed in mountain barangays this year is the footbridge in Barangay Taptap and P18.3 million worth of other projects that have yet to be bid out.
The meeting was called days after former Cebu City Sports Commission chairman Jonathan Guardo announced his plan to run against Cuenco in the 2007 elections.
Guardo also warned that some barangay captains and councilors allied with the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) will defect before the elections.
“I’m not worried about that. Let him try, I just wish him luck,” he said of Guardo’s pronouncement, adding that he did not call for a meeting to check the loyalty of his allies.
No need for check
The legislator repeatedly reminded reporters that he will ignore questions regarding Guardo’s statements, saying his comments would only make Guardo popular.
City Councilor and Association of Barangay Councils president Eugenio Faelnar said they do not need to do a loyalty check.
He said they would rather focus on the projects such as farm-to-market roads, bridges, water supply and drainage.
“We should be thankful that the President has been giving funds for our projects in Cebu, and that it would be good if we continue to support the President, the mayor and the congressman,” Faelnar said during the meeting.
Cuenco also urged the barangay captains to use their P1 million to build additional classrooms in their villages.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 14, 2006 issue)
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