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Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Bry chiefs got P5,000 each from Glo staff?
By Gingging A. Campaña
With Linette C. Ramos
SOME 60 administration-allied barangay chiefs in Cebu City were given white envelopes containing P5,000 from those who organized the meeting with President Arroyo last Sunday.
However, two barangay captains said they only received calendars from Arroyo, others said they got leaflets or free passes for some concert while one said she received nothing.
Bulacao Barangay Chief Celerino Cabanca Sr. said the “envelopes” were nothing new to them as these were also given when they attend meetings for the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC).
“That’s natural, that something is given for fare. I also don’t know how much others received,” Cabanca told Sun.Star last night.
Asked how much was inside the envelope he received, Cabanca laughed and said, “Mauwaw man sab ta (I’m embarrassed).”
During her visit last Sunday, the President promised Cebu City officials at least P60 million worth of infrastructure projects.
Cabanca appreciates this. “Mingaw man gud kaayo sa una. Before, there were no projects from the administration.”
Eliodoro Sanchez of Barangay Busay and Rustica Asid of Buhisan failed to attend the meeting because they had to attend to the annual fiesta in their respective communities, whose patron saint is also the Señor Sto. Niño.
Asid, who is also the chapel president, said she had to refuse the invitation of Jun Cugay, Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kaus-wagan (BO-PK) leader and secretary to Mayor Tomas Osmeña. However, she assured she will be attending future meetings called for by the administration.
Sambag 1 chief Jerry Guardo said the envelope he received contained tickets or passes to a show, which he refused to name.
A barangay captain, who asked not to be identified, said that some captains from the mountain barangays teased him for not attending the meeting.
“Why didn’t you attend? You didn’t get P5,000,” the officials reportedly said.
Leo Japson of Banilad said she only received some calendars.
In a radio dyLA report, Day-as Barangay Chief Mike Ocleasa said envelopes containing P500 bills were handed out during the meeting.
Ocleasa mentioned Lorega-San Miguel Bara-ngay Captain Fortunato “Tingting” Parawan as one of those who got the envelopes, but the latter denied having received any. He said he only got some leaflets from senatorial aspirant Mar Roxas.
Parawan, however, confirmed that the ABC board led by Guadalupe Barangay Captain Eugenio Faelnar initiated a manifesto of support for Arroyo and had it signed by the other village chiefs present during the meeting.
The manifesto, which was penned by Pahina Central Barangay Captain Sisinio Andales, was then given to the President as she was about to leave.
Meanwhile, Mayor To-mas Osmeña criticized political rival Alvin Garcia for his “self-serving” statements that President Arroyo’s visit to Cebu last Sunday was tainted with politics.
He said that despite the criticisms, he is happy that the President was able to attend the Sinulog 2004 festivities even if her visit had political risks.
“Alvin Garcia’s statements about the Pre-sident’s visit were grossly unfair. It’s a self-serving statement because I am sure, if he were the mayor then the President came, he wouldn’t say the same thing,” Osmeña told reporters yesterday.
He said that Garcia, who is running for mayor under Fernando Poe Jr.’s Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP), “has always had a nasty habit of insulting people if they are not to his liking.”
“I think enough is enough. Cebuanos are not stupid and they cannot be fooled by Alvin Garcia all the time. Whatever he says, I am very happy that the President came,” he said.
(January 20, 2004 issue)
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