New Tinago officials affirm BOPK support

CEBU, Philippines — Newly-elected officials of Barangay Tinago, Cebu City affirmed their support to the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) as they took their oath before Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Tinago Barangay Captain Domingo V. Lopez, 64, says that he trusts Osmeña’s leadership as the mayor of the city.

“Nisalig ko ni Tommy sa ilang liderato ug kawsa…makalaum gyud ta sa atong barangay ug sa atong syudad…Gusto sa atong mayor na trabaho lang ta nya ma-deliver gyud ang tinuod na serbisyo para sa atong barangay,” Lopez told The FREEMAN.

In addition, Lopez said that he will pursue the service for the senior citizen, the youth, and the cleanup of rivers during his term.

“Usbon ang pagpadagan sa barangay.  Ang serbisyo, labi na sa atong senior citizen ug sa atong mga youth, ug paglimpyo sa mga sapa…I am formerly a barangay captain for two terms…Pagkawala nato, giguba nila.  So, ato nasad ibalik after five years,” said Lopez.

Lopez added this election is a testament of Councilor Joel Garganera’s dwindling support base.

“For sure mao gyud ni ang sign sa pagka-downfall ni Joel, kaning results sa eleksyon sa Barangay Tinago,” he said.

Garganera, however, thinks otherwise.

“Better prepare and do not say ana nga mga istorya. I am very much alive and kicking.  Gamay kauwaw…for the very first time in Tinago ang vote buying…I pity him because if these people are proud to buy votes, there must be something wrong because it is all about the money,” Garganera told The FREEMAN.

Meanwhile, Osmeña expressed his elation to announce the possible change in the political landscape in the City Council with the addition of the presidents of Association of Barangay Councils and Sanggunian Kabataan Federation.

While he is confident to get the majority bloc in the legislative body, the mayor hoped that the change in the City Council will be for the betterment of the city.

“We will make an announcement in the few days. I’m looking forward to having a new change in the City Council with the addition of the SK president and the ABC president. I’m very hopeful that it will come out for the betterment of Cebu. No more babag. We have to move on and we have to move on fast,” he told reporters.

Just yesterday, Osmeña welcomed Talamban SK Chairperson Christine Claire Bontuyan who ran with no party during last week’s elections.

The mayor has 50 of 80 barangay captains that are allied with him while he has 42 allied SK chairpersons compared to opposition’s 33.

With these numbers, Osmeña said he is confident that he will get the majority bloc in the City Council which is currently dominated by Barug Team Rama-PDP Laban.  Sought for comment, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said the opposition will just let things happen as it unfolds.

“My comment on that is let’s just wait. If that happens, it happens. Let’s just wait for that situation to take place,” he said in a phone interview.

He disagreed with Osmeña who said the current City Council members are “obstructionist.”

Labella said his allies in the legislative body supported the administration’s programs that are beneficial to the city like the 93-1 issue, the selling of three-hectares of land at SRP, among others.

Labella said getting the minority or majority bloc in the City Council makes no difference as they will continue to do their job in upholding the check and balance principle as mandated under the Local Government Code.

He said the group is endorsing incumbent ABC President Phillip Zafra for the same position in next month’s election of the council’s Board of Directors.

Zafra will face BOPK’s frontrunner incumbent Kasambagan Barangay Captain Franklyn Ong. Both Barug Team Rama-PDP Laban and BOPK are not endorsing names for the president of SK Federation as they will leave the discretion to the elected young leaders.

In an interview with reporters, Bontuyan, who took oath to Osmeña, yesterday, said that she never had any prior political affiliation.

“I think that for a government to function properly, power must be properly decentralized.  And in order for us to work cohesively in the government, we must take cognition and we must adhere to the existence of an administration and that administration is led by Mayor Tommy Osmeña, and we have to respect that administration and adhere to it,” Bontuyan said.

She also added that the barangay captain of Talamban is well affiliated with the mayor.

“If we all want to have a progressive society, if I want a progressive barangay for myself, and considering the fact that my barangay captain is also well affiliated with Mayor Tommy Osmeña then we have to have a common goal and we have to work in unity with one another for the betterment of our barangay,” she added.

With the SK Federation elections slated on May 28, Bontuyan expressed her interest to run as SK Federation President.

Last Wednesday evening, the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino invited all 80 SK chairpersons of Cebu City to visit Malacañang Palace for a tour and an audience with the president. Bontuyan said she did not receive any invitation for the event, and that she was confined at a hospital starting Monday.

The invitation was criticized by Osmeña as a desperate move of Michael Dino to help his allies. — Marienel M. Janea, CNU Intern,  Joyce Ann Gabutan, CNU intern/GAN (FREEMAN)