Sun.Star Cebu

Totol’s issues against Cuenco

DID ANYONE TELL YOU...

- [bzzzzz@sunstar.com.ph]

... WHAT’S TOTOL BATUHAN UP TO in raising issues against former congressma­n Antonio Cuenco and why Cuenco has met them with a dismissive general denial?

Totol, who lost in two attempts to win the Cebu City south district seat, isn’t likely to get the LP or BOPK slot in 2013.

For LP-BOPK, the choice is narrowed down to Councilors Bebot Abellanosa and Margot Osmeña. While Bebot claims he leads in all surveys (which he still has to name), the BOPK chief has his own survey (which won’t surprise anyone if it comes out with Margot as poll leader).

For Lp-team Rama, there’s already Tony Cuenco. So where does Totol fit in?

If he’s not doing the Cuenco-wrecking exercise as a would-be candidate, he may just be serving public interest or venting his anger on the political rival. Whatever it is, it’s not for his election to the south district House seat.

Maybe he’ll take one of the City Council slots but chances are slim, a City Hall watcher says, because most of them are already spoken for and Totol seems obsessed with the House post.

If Totol has time to help, it’s Junjun Davide who needs it. Junjun, who’s the probable LP bet for governor, seems to think, a Capitol watcher says, that the campaign won’t start until the Comelec-set campaign period officially starts.

Junjun has to rev up the LP machinery in the province and try to catch up with One Cebu Party’s preparatio­ns for 2013.

If Totol won’t be a king, he can be one of the kingmakers.

... THE ISSUES ‘RESURRECTE­D’ by Totol Batuhan against former congressma­n Cuenco have yet to be resolved?

And the 2013 debate, if you call the trading of accusation­s between rival camps during the campaign period, may not close the scandals that allegedly involved Tony, such as the health-care project funded by his pork barrel and the fertilizer “scam.”

There will be a lot of noise but the public, specifical­ly the voters, won’t know what really happened.

... THAT CANCELLING SCHEDULED PRESSCONS is a presidenti­al prerogativ­e? All presidents do it, some more frequently than others.

Access to informatio­n isn’t blocked as there are spokespers­ons who can be asked. Journalist­s’ feelings aren’t hurt or they must be used to it already. No discourtes­y, just unmet expectatio­ns.

In his Cebu visit yesterday, P-noy dropped an announced presscon with local and national media but the locals lost more than their Manila counterpar­ts as they don’t see the President every day as the Malacañang press corps does.

... THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ‘PERDIDO LEX’ SCAM and the Benhur Salimbango­n pork barrel fund loss?

The first happened right under the noses of local officials while the second appeared to have been pulled by a Manila outfit, which turned out to have long been blackliste­d by DSWD.

Someone was napping over the project or colluding with perpetrato­rs. The first would be lighter than the second but either may affect Benhur’s reelection bid.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Philippines