Monday, April 28, 2008 Nalzaro: On being childish By Bobby Nalzaro Saksi
CEBU City South District Rep. Tony Cuenco confirmed that his relationship with Mayor Tomas Osmeña soured right after the barangay elections last October.
However, Cuenco doesn’t know why Tomas is still angry at him when what happened between them stemmed from a miscommunication and as a result of intrigues from their respective barangay leaders. Besides, he already apologized personally to the mayor and through the media.
In an interview on my program over dySS Super Radyo last Saturday, Tony reiterated his apology to hizzoner, wanting to settle their “minor differences” in a professional manner. He refused to comment on Tomas’ latest attack against him or on the mayor’s move to annex Cordova town to Cebu City.
Tony explained that he is not really opposed to the move. What he said was that it needed further study because it might violate the Constitution. But Tomas didn’t agree with the congressman, and called the latter’s opinion “yabag” (crazy idea).
Cuenco admitted that the barangay elections last October was one of the reasons for their falling out. Tomas accused him of abandoning their barangay leaders by not giving them funding when Cuenco left for the US. Tony explained that he did provide a little help to their allies through his wife Nancy and son James.
But for recipients the help he provided was not enough to finance their candidacies. He said he didn’t have a choice since he spent too much money for his reelection last May. Also, he left for the States days before the barangay elections because he needed to seek medical assistance for an ailment. His mistake was he failed to inform the mayor. Tony believes that those barangay candidates who were not satisfied with his help were the source of the intrigues that got the mayor angry at him.
But even before the barangay elections, Cuenco said he already noticed that the mayor’s treatment of him had cooled. He was seldom invited to City affairs and the mayor refused to coordinate with him on some barangay matters, which concerned his district. There was even a time that the mayor’s secretary called him and invited him to a City Hall affair, which he accepted only to have her call back 20 minutes that she had made a mistake.
Tony said he tried calling and sending text messages to Tomas several times, but the latter refused to answer him. One time, Tony chanced upon the mayor at the Mactan airport. They were both bound for Manila. He approached the mayor and tried to talk to him. But Tomas just ignored him. Upon arrival in Manila, Tony offered to take Tomas to his destination but the mayor again ignored him. Sensing that the mayor was not in a good mood, Tony apologized.
But you know what Tomas said in response? “Not in this lifetime.” Poor Tony.
Well, we’re no longer surprised with the mayor’s actuation and attitude. His problem is not administrative in aspect but his behavior. Sometimes he acts like a child. He is too arrogant and vindictive. If he does not like you, he will hate you forever. He treats everybody as his slaves and pretends to know everything.
This is not in defense of Cuenco. But if you analyze the source of their “conflict,” it was very petty and minor. They could have resolved it easily. It was a matter of miscommunication. Besides, the congressman has already apologized. Why doesn’t Tomas accept the apology? Unless he has a reason or a personal motive for doing so. Could it be politics? Tony is no longer qualified to run in 2010 and none of his family members will succeed him. In fact, he already endorsed the candidacy of Vice Mayor Micheal Rama for the south congressional seat. But from what I have gathered, Rama is eyeing the mayoralty position.
Did Tony commit a heinous crime that hizzoner will not accept his apology? Kon nakapasylo si Kristo, si Tomas dili? Unsa man na siya, Ginoo? Welcome to the club, Mr. Congressman.
