VM Labella confident Zafra not jumping ship

CEBU, Philippines — The top elected official of Barug Team Rama PDP-Laban, Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, is confident that Tisa village chief Phillip Zafra will not transfer party affiliation.

He made this statement after Zafra has declared to be an independent barangay captain last Friday.

“Well, I take his words hook, line and sinker that he is going to be independent, so wala ko’y pagduda nga mobalhin siya. But (if) he will eventually transfer to another group, that's his choice. As I have said, this is a free country. I respect whatever decision he will have,” Labella said.

Zafra has been affiliated with Barug Team Rama PDP-Laban for many years already. In fact, he has been elected as the president of Association of Barangay Councils-Cebu City with the support of the group in 2013.

He said party affiliation is not important to him because what matters most is to serve the public being an elected official.

“Whatever it is, ato lang dawaton.  Ang importante we can perform our job. Para nako dili kaayo ko particular sa political posturing, para nako ang importante ang pagserbisyo in whatever capacity,” Labella said.

Even with that, Labella is still confident that it would not have a negative impact to their group because whether or not they are in majority in the City Council, they will continue to serve the people.

Zafra sits as an ex-officio member in the City Council. For being independent, the council has an 8-9-1 standing, which gives the majority Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan.

BOPK councilors are Margarita Osmeña, Sisinio Andales, Joy Augustus Young, Jerry Guardo, Eugenio Gabuya Jr., Alvin Arcilla, David Tumulak, Mary Ann Delos Santos and ex-officio member Jessica Resch.

Barug Team Rama PDP-Laban legislators are Jocelyn Pesquera, Eduardo Rama Jr., Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr., Jose Daluz III, Joel Garganera, Raymond Alvin Garcia, Renato “Junjun” Osmeña Jr., and newly appointed Councilor Erik Espina.

Zafra also dropped his re-election bid as ABC president, saying he will focus on managing his own barangay.

He said he was thinking about not seeking re-election three years ago.

The fact that he doesn’t have enough numbers of barangay captains who will support him for ABC polls this coming July 30 elections made him decide not to run.

Record shows that there are at least 26 barangay captains allied with Zafra and 50 village chiefs under BOPK.

With this, Labella is willing to support Mabolo village chief Prisca Niña Mabatid in her probable candidacy.

Mabatid was being endorsed by the Office of the President but she has yet to decide whether or not to run, as of this writing.

“Well, in principle, nagkaestorya mi ni Zafra nga he is inclined to support Mabatid and I’ll take his word for it. Kung si Phillip gani mosuporta, ako sad mosuporta ni Niña. But para nako, dili mi kabotar.  It’s for the barangay officials, it’s up to them,” Labella said.

If Mabatid decides to run, she will face Kasambagan Barangay Captain Franklyn Ong, the candidate of the BOPK. (FREEMAN)