How Rep. Antonio V. Cuenco fought against the passage of Sugbuak

On February 2005 a bill was filed to divide the Province of Cebu into Cebu Del Norte, Cebu del Sur, and Cebu Occidental. The incumbent governor at that time, Gwendolyn Fiel Garcia (the Iron Lady of the South) was the lone member of her clan in office. She was deprived of expressing her opposition to the bill in the halls of Congress.

Cuenco, an Atenean lawyer, sought a meeting with Governor Garcia and her father, former governor Pablo P. Garcia (the private lawyer who saved the provincials lots of Cebu, who came back from retirement with his election as congressman of the 2nd District) and they were assured that they will have the chance of voicing the sentiments of the Cebuanos regarding the bill.

Cuenco, with the help of his friend, Roque R. Ablan, Jr., on August 2005, facilitated a meeting at the Rembrandt Hotel with congressmen allies, among the many attendees were Crisologo and Zialcita. Governor Gwen was given the opportunity of enlightening the congressmen as to how disadvantageous Sugbuak would be.

Cuenco, who was not a member of the Committee on Local Government, requested fellow Congressman Edcel Lagman, a vice chairman of the Committee to deputize him, thus giving him the authority to attend the committee hearings. Cuenco stood against the bill in the committee. However it was railroaded with Cuenco moving for its reconsideration. A verbal tussle of Cuenco and Macias almost came to blows on September 27, 2006. However, during the burial of Sec. Cerge Remonde on January 19, 2010 the two met, shook hands, and hugged as gentlemen.

Cuenco, a street parliamentarian (he founded and financed the Partido Pananghiusa, acted as lawyer and brought to Cebu topnotch lawyers like Joker Arroyo and Rene Saguisag as legal counsels for arrested Cebuano leaders and provided the cash bonds) and a veteran legislator and master of parliamentary proceedings (he was supposed to be the speaker in 1987 but gave way to Mitra), made sure that the bill will not see the light.

Sugbuak was stopped by Cuenco, with Congress closing its session with the bill in a coma. It never came back to life. Antonio Veloso Cuenco would have turned 85 this March 26, 2021, is the last of the legendary crusaders of Cebu. Long live the great Cebuanos.