Saturday, December 15, 2007 Faelnar, Arcilla may need opposition barangay captains’ support, Sanchez says
WITH both camps confident of having the numbers, the opposition is considered “crucial” in handing victory to either reelect-ionist Eugenio Faelnar or Talamban Barangay Chief Alvin Arcilla as Cebu City Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) president.
Faelnar said he will honor the result of the secret balloting Mayor Tomas Osmeña made. He is confident of getting the vote of most of the 80 barangay captains.
A source said Faelnar called for a meeting recently and at least 50 village leaders showed up.
Faelnar said Osmeña promised to divulge the result of the secret balloting before he leaves for the United States on Dec. 22.
This is for administration party Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kausawagan (BO-PK) to come up with a lone candidate for the ABC presidency during the Dec. 29 election.
But Arcilla’s camp is also certain that the barangay captains will sway to his favor come election day.
“I have nothing against Jingjing. He is a good friend, maayong tawo, approachable. But akong tan-aw we have a great chance in the straw balloting. The new barangay captains sympathize with Alvin (Arcilla) because he was the one endorsed by the mayor,” said Busay Barangay Chief Eliodoro Sanchez, who is running for ABC board member under Arcilla.
He said that if Faelnar wins, it will be a very close one, with only two- or three-vote margin.
That is why, he said, the votes of opposition village leaders will matter a lot.
In a separate interview, Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos said they are still on a “wait-and-see” mode whether they will field a candidate.
She said the opposition barangay captains met last Thursday and agreed to closely monitor the situation, especially that there are BO-PK village chiefs who sent feelers that they will vote for her if she will run for ABC president.
She is cautious, though, saying there is something fishy about the supposed rivalry of Arcilla and Faelnar, close allies of the mayor.
She said that by projecting that the BO-PK vote is divided because of Faelnar and Arcilla running against each other, she might be being lured into running so she get shamed in the end.
“I will never give Tommy a chance to get even with me. So we are adopting a wait-and-see strategy,” she said.
The opposition, she said, will vote as a bloc. And if their votes matter, given that they will not field a candidate, they will not give it to a certain candidate without any concession.
“If either of the two needs our votes, there has got to be a concession,” she said, without revealing what they would likely demand.
Sanchez said the candidate who gets the opposition’s votes wins.
“The votes of these 10 12 opposition barangay captains are crucial,” he admitted.
Faelnar asked Arcilla’s camp to honor the result of the secret balloting, promising that he will not contest Arcilla for the post if he loses.
Faelnar, Guadalupe barangay captain, declared last Nov. 4 that he would no longer run for ABC president, alarmed that he only got a margin of 700 votes in the Oct. 29 elections.
He said then that he would concentrate on his constituents, and endorsed Arcilla as his replacement.
Osmeña agreed to endorse Arcilla, who came up with a ticket and already started wooing village chiefs by visiting the different barangays.
Faelnar kept his promise until last Saturday’s ABC general assembly, when the barangay captains present asked him to run again.
In particular, Basak San Nicolas Barangay Captain George Rama was instrumental in convincing him to change his mind after the former city councilor was impressed that the ABC has saved P3.7 million.
That was contrary to rumors that Faelnar and ABC administrative officer Tessa Cang used the group’s money for personal gains.
Yesterday, Faelnar said the allegation is also the main reason why he announced last month that he no longer wants to be ABC president. (RHM)
