Thursday, December 13, 2007 Leave us alone: George to BO-PK leaders
TALAMBAN Barangay Captain Alvin Arcilla is being asked to forego running for the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) presidency now that Guadalupe’s Eugenio Faelnar wants to be reelected.
Bando Os-meña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) party member George Rama said that his cousin, Vice Mayor Michael Rama, told him to try dissuading Arcilla for the party’s unity.
He told the vice mayor, Mayor Tomas Osmeña and the city councilors to leave the village chiefs alone in deciding whether they want to replace or reelect Faelnar.
BO-PK leaders have asked Arcilla to let Faelnar get reelected and instead run as his vice president.
It is unclear yet whether Arcilla agreed, as he has already formed a complete slate for the ABC board.
Even incumbent ABC vice president Sisinio Andales is already under Arcilla’s ticket.
Calls to Arcilla’s cellular phone went unanswered yesterday. But George said they should be left alone.
“Why should they meddle when we can do this?” he said.
George said he and Faelnar already met with Mayor Osmeña, who agreed to keep his hands off the Dec. 29 election.
The mayor is leaving for the United States on Dec. 22 to spend Christmas and the New Year there.
In a separate interview, Faelnar said he plans to have six from among the neophyte village chiefs and four veteran barangay captains to compose his ABC board.
He said Andales called after he changed his mind and decided to run again for ABC president to inform him that the Pahina Central barangay captain wants to be in his group.
“I told him it’s a bit difficult because there are others who want the post. He said he will run even as board member only,” Faelnar said.
After announcing in an exclusive interview with Sun.Star Cebu last Nov. 4 that he no longer wants to be ABC president to concentrate on his barangay, Faelnar endorsed Arcilla as his successor.
But in last Saturday’s ABC general assembly, the barangay chiefs, most of whom are new to the job, cheered for Faelnar not to keep his word and change his mind.
Faelnar did, overwhelmed by their show of confidence, after George convinced him.
George was impressed that the ABC has P3.7-million savings since 2002.
Yesterday, Faelnar met with several new barangay captains and decided to have the orientation on parliamentary rules and procedures be held before the Dec. 29 ABC election.
He said City Administrator Francisco Fernandez told him that transfer of the P400,000 donation from the Anwaray party-list group to the ABC’s account is already being processed.
The ABC will use the amount for the orientation of the new village leaders, who compose more than half of the 80 Cebu City barangay chiefs. (RHM)
