Wednesday, July 25, 2007 No treachery, Cuenco says, but regrets having nominated JDV
ALTHOUGH he was hurt by accusations of treachery from the Garcia camp, Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City south) yesterday apologized to Rep. Pablo “Pabling” Garcia and his family for the pain he caused them.
Cuenco, however, said he did not betray the Garcias in any way.
He admitted, though, that he made the mistake of nominating House Speaker Jose de Venecia instead of Garcia, a Cebuano and representative of Cebu’s second district to the Lower House.
In a phone interview yesterday, Cuenco said the nomination was not his own initiative and that he simply accepted de Venecia’s request for him to deliver the nomination speech shortly after the inaugural session commenced.
“Maybe that’s where I made a mistake. I should have declined when de Venecia asked me to deliver the speech, I think I committed an error there but to charge me of treachery is not fair because I did not betray him. But out of delicadeza, I should not have made that speech,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
Now that he is under attack by Garcia’s children and their allies in Congress, the south district legislator said he regrets his action.
“Why should I be the one blamed for his defeat? I thought Pabling was already resigned to the fact that he didn’t have the numbers. I thought he would not disagree with my move to nominate but I read him wrong. I’m really sorry that it produced that effect. Maayo pa wala na lang diay, maayo pa ni-absent na lang ko ato (I would have been better off absent),” Cuenco said.
That Garcia called him a “traitor” is unfair and hurtful, he further said.
Cuenco said he gave Garcia his commitment of support if the vote was done through a secret balloting during a caucus, which should have come from the Garcia camp.
But up to the time before the inaugural session last Monday, the camp of Garcia did not pass such motion.
“So where is the treason there? I understand that de Venecia had the numbers, Pabling should have realized that a long time ago and agreed to a secret balloting during a caucus and I would have voted for him there. I could not vote for him during a roll-call vote, otherwise I would lose my chairmanship,” said Cuenco, chairman of the House committee on foreign affairs.
He assured, though, that he will make it up to Garcia by helping defend his son, Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) General Manager Winston Garcia, in the House of Representatives.
Winston is reportedly facing charges before the House committee on good government on alleged irregularities in the procedure in depositing GSIS funds.
The allegations came from the Commission on Audit and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), which questioned Winston for depositing the funds with Union Bank of the Philippines, a universal bank, instead of the LBP, a government bank.
“I hope things will simmer down. I don’t blame him because the defeat he suffered must be very painful, and I understand their situation. I hope time will heal the hurt feelings. I extend my apologies and heart of reconciliation. I will make it up to them. I will continue to help them on the charges against Winston because I disagree on the charges,” said Cuenco.
After the election at the House yesterday, Cuenco received a text message from Winston, who said he was disappointed in the legislator and accused him of treachery.
Cuenco also admitted that Winston has been funding his radio spots for the anti-illegal drugs campaign over radio dyLA for the past year, and that he has recently asked Winston to fund another year’s contract.
Winston also helped him “significantly” during the election campaign, but he would not say what the assistance was.
But it was not a one-way affair, Cuenco said.
He said he was the first legislator to speak against the Sugbuak bills, which Garcia’s daughter Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia campaigned against. (LCR)
