Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Tomas to Arcilla: Focus on Talamban
CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday encouraged Talamban Barangay Captain Alvin Arcilla to concentrate on his barangay after failing to get the support of the majority in his bid for the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) presidency.
Osmeña assured Arcilla that even if he got fewer votes than incumbent ABC President Eugenio Faelnar and despite the reported differences between the two and their supporters, the Talamban barangay captain will continue to be part of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).
The mayor declined from divulging the results of the text survey he conducted the past week, but said that only six BOPK allies failed to cast their vote.
“Go along”
“I’m not going to release any information on that, except in general terms. Very clearly, it was Faelnar who won so I will ask the others to go along with the decision of the group... No comment on who did not vote but even if all six voted, it would not change the results,” he told reporters.
“He can still be part of the group, he will just have to concentrate on Talamban,” Osmeña said when asked what BOPK’s plans are for Arcilla.
In his news conference yesterday, Osmeña said he believes there are no disgruntled ABC members, contrary to what the opposition is reporting.
He explained that he himself initiated the text voting after Faelnar and Arcilla said they will leave it to the mayor to decide who the party’s candidate will be in the ABC polls on Dec. 29.
Labangon Barangay Captain Felix Abella was included in the text polls after he told the mayor that he is available to run for president of the council.
“Of course they are saying there are disgruntled members, they are hoping that there are disgruntled members... I hope the opposition would just field a candidate and they would spend a lot of money because it’s good for us to know who will sell out,” said Osmeña.
The mayor also said he is not bothered by the planned move by the opposition to provide services to the barangays, including mobile stages, buses and other vehicles.
Osmeña admitted that City Hall cannot provide all the services to all residents of the city but he does not mind if the opposition takes advantage of the situation.
“That’s normal, this is a democracy... Everything is kulang and if you service everybody, the more requests you will have and the more you can’t deliver,” he said. (LCR)
