Sunday, December 30, 2007 High turnout, no contest By Rene H. Martel Sun.Star Staff Reporter
IT WAS a surprisingly high turnout for Cebu City’s 80 village chiefs in an Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) election with no alternative candidates.
Of the 73 barangay captains who showed up, 71 voted for Guadalupe’s Eugenio Faelnar, who, along with his ticket, ran unopposed yesterday.
One barangay captain did not vote for him, which Faelnar said was fine. One vote, however, stood out.
A barangay captain voted for the opposition’s Mary Ann de los Santos of Lahug—although she wasn’t even running for office.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña had dared de los Santos to try her luck in the ABC, but the opposition eventually endorsed Sambag I’s Jerry Guardo.
Guardo did not file his candidacy when administration-allied Alvin Arcilla of Talamban backed off from challenging Faelnar.
‘Sour grapes’
The opposition had hoped to take advantage of the division in the ranks of Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK)-allied barangay captains, for a chance to wrestle the ABC presidency from Faelnar.
“Sour-graping ra tong iyaha tong kapitana to, palagot ba. (That captain who voted for Mary Ann just wanted to annoy me.) Kaila ko pero pasagdahan ko na lang to siya sa iyang gibuhat (I know who the captain is, but I’ll let him be),” Faelnar told reporters after the vote was read.
De los Santos earlier called yesterday’s election “an exercise in futility,” saying Faelnar was already ABC president the day Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced that he defeated Arcilla in the secret balloting supposedly made to get the barangay captains’ consensus.
Arcilla was a no-show in the election, along with Labangon’s Felix Abella, who last Friday backed out from challenging Pahina Central’s Sisinio Andales for ABC vice president.
Also absent were Ermita’s Felicisimo Rupinta, Cogon Pardo’s Eugenio Gabuya, Poblacion Pardo’s Danilo Lim, de los Santos and Guardo.
Arcilla, Abella and Rupinta are identified with the BOPK.
The ticket
Faelnar said that Jerry Guardo also called to inform him that he was not participating in the election.
“I understand he would have wanted to attend, but stayed away out of respect for his elder brother,” he said, referring to Jerry’s brother Jonathan, current Cebu City opposition leader.
Elected with Faelnar as ABC president and Andales, who got 72 votes, as vice president, were ABC board members Jojo Sable of Suba (71), Lorenzo Basamot of Camputhaw (69), Mambaling’s Rodolfo Estella (67), Tisa’s Eduardo Cabulao (67), Zapatera’s Joemar Benedicto (66), Labangon’s Rolly Diorico (66), San Roque’s Roger Ruizo (65), Busay’s Eliodoro “Yody” Sanchez (65) and Luz’s Nida Cabrera (61).
T. Padilla’s Michael Ralota was also voted as ABC auditor.
The new ABC officials asked for unity within their ranks.
And if Agsungot’s Jongjong Alcover’s sentiments reflect that of the opposition-identified barangay captains, the ABC officials might not have a hard time rallying their troops.
Alcover, a neophyte barangay captain, said that while the opposition swore him into office and that he joined its Christmas party, he simply honored the invitation because he was formally asked.
Attendance
The same was true for the ABC, he said. He showed up because he was invited, saying that all he wants is to be involved for the sake of his constituents, not because he wants to take part in personal politics.
“Ako bag-o pa ko, wala ko kaila nila. Ang ako, nidagan ko para dili sa usa ka tawo kon di sa mga tawo sa akong barangay (I’m new. I didn’t run for one person, but for the residents of my barangay),” Alcover said.
The barangay captains of Day-as, Pasil, Buot Taup, Calamba, San Antonio, San Nicolas Proper, Sapangdaku and Duljo Fatima, whom the opposition claimed were allied with their group, were also present during the election.
Faelnar was happy that although the election was uncontested, it was so far the biggest gathering of barangay captains this year.
Past ABC general assemblies had just over 50 to 60 barangay captains in attendance. (RHM)
