Thursday, February 07, 2008 Tomas worries whether del Mar, Cuenco can still get projects
CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña admitted worrying if Reps. Raul del Mar and Antonio Cuenco will still get projects after the two voted against declaring the House Speaker’s position vacant in last Monday’s ouster of Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia.
But he said he is counting on President Arroyo to recognize the support she got from Cebu City, adding that she has always been “supportive of us.”
“I’m more concerned that our two congressmen will not get more projects from now on,” he said, when asked for his reaction on what happened to de Venecia, whom Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles replaced past midnight Tuesday.
However, the mayor advised Cebuanos not to dwell so much on what happened in the House of Representatives, saying Congress has not really helped Cebu.
He said the Cebuanos should help themselves and do what they can without thinking of having senators and congressmen to help them.
“I have never looked at Congress as saving us. We have to save ourselves, there are so many things we can do at our level,” he said.
But with Arroyo favoring the Cebu City Government, the mayor said the Cebuanos should maximize that connection, adding that it is unlikely that the next President would be as supportive.
And with Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu Province, 2nd district) rumored to replace him as deputy speaker for the Visayas, del Mar (Cebu City, north district) said he knows the ins and outs of Congress enough to source funds for his constituents.
A source, though, has said that the last tranche of the 2007 Priority Development Assistance Fund of those allied with de Venecia has not been released, while those who supported Nograles received theirs last month yet.
The last tranche amounts to P10 million.
Cuenco has already expressed hope that projects for the Cebu City south district will not be affected by his “no” vote, which he described in last Monday’s session as a “vote of conscience.” (RHM)
