Team Rama blanks BOPK in BCLP

CEBU, Philippines - Team Rama candidates also won in the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) elections last December after majority of Rama's allies emerged victorious in the October barangay elections.

Last Saturday, Barangay Kamputhaw's number one Councilor Raymond Garcia won the BCLP presidency with 306 votes over outgoing president Franklin Ong, who got 215 votes.

For executive vice-president, Litoy Ceniza got 278 votes over Carreta Barangay Councilor Helen Francisco, who got 237 votes.

For south district vice president, Eugen Tabas got 260 votes over Litang Abarquez's 212 votes. For north district vice president, Eliodoro "Yody" Sanchez (267 votes) edged Rex Millan (209 votes).

The other newly-elected BCLP officials were Grace Baquero (secretary-general), Maria Pino (treasurer), David Agravante (auditor) and Gerry Auxillo, Jr. (public relations officer).

Troy Tan, Bradex Flores, Frank Gajudo and Lino Bontilao won as members of the BCLP north district board of directors; while Boy Ababon, Jojo Peralta, Anne Vestil Palomo, and Richard Buscaino were elected for the south district.

The winners were declared past 11 p.m. last Saturday at the White Gold House at the North Reclamation Area.

In an interview, Garcia said they won through "hard work". 

At least, 526 councilmen were present during the election, but the Commission on Elections counted only 525 ballots cast as one was declared invalid. 

In a separate interview, Rama said he did not expect that Team Rama's slate would win all BCLP seats. He said, though, that "it's God's will ni-prevail ang Team Rama".

As the newly-elected BCLP president, Garcia said he would ask Rama to increase the monthly incentives of all barangay officials in the city.

Apart from additional incentives, Garcia had announced that he would organize a legal team of at least 10 lawyers that would assist barangay officials on their duties, and work on the creation of BCLP members' identification cards that would serve as their health cards.

Garcia said they are likewise planning to arrange with Cebu's private hospitals so the city's barangay councilors could opt where to use the City Government's P25,000 hospitalization aid for each of them.

He also said he would prioritize the submission of a quarterly report on BCLP's activities in a newsletter format and provide an accounting of the P9-million BCLP fund of the previous administration. (FREEMAN)