Sunday, December 30, 2007 Province gives P1M to ABC as reward for ‘unity’
UNLIKE in 2002, when Teresita Celis won the presidency of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) Provincial Federation by less than five votes, yesterday’s election was a breeze.
Like her, the other candidates for ABC positions ran unopposed.
Celis garnered 43 votes, the total number of ABC members present yesterday, out of 50. All the other officials got at least 40 votes.
This show of unity prompted Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia to pledge P1 million in financial aid to the federation.
She promised to give the same amount to the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation, just as she did to two other organizations, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines and the Vice Mayors’ League.
All districts
Celis explained there was a consensus on who should run for the 11 slots in the ABC federation.
The 50 ABC representatives from the different towns and cities reportedly urged Celis to seek reelection and in turn, sit as an ex-officio member of the Provincial Board (PB) again.
Celis is from Boljoon.
The other districts were also represented in the line-up.
Former PB member Jose Ribomapil “Joey Boy” Holganza, representing Bantayan Island, is the new vice president, while Alcoy’s Domingo Carungay won as auditor. Just like Celis, both gained 100 percent of the votes from those present.
The only two other officers who garnered all the votes are Analee Gungob of Consolacion, daughter of Mayor Avelino Gungob Sr., and former dySS news anchor Greman “Jojo” Solante of Tudela. They are both members of the ABC board of directors.
The other directors are Mercedita Apura of Carcar City and Jose Brainard Mayol of Bogo City, who got 42 votes apiece, while those who gathered 41 votes were Joseph Redula of Alegria, Elmer Teleron of Barili and Leo Salundaguit of Liloan.
Santander’s Juanito Puspus, who gained 40 votes, completed the board of directors.
Quick count
The voting started at 10:50 a.m. and was finished by 11:10. The new set of ABC officers were proclaimed at 11:45. They then took their oaths before Garcia.
While the governor said she would excuse the seven members who were absent, she urged the others to remember who they were.
Those who failed to sign the attendance sheet are the ABC town presidents of San Fernando, Dalaguete, Tuburan, Daanbantayan, Danao City and Cordova. The representative from Aloguinsan came in late and failed to vote.
Garcia commended the provincial federation for its unity, and pointed out that she did not intervene in the process.
“Wala ako niadto sa mga pamantalaan aron magpasigarbo kung kinsa akong buot mahimo nga presidente kay dili nako buot nga tamak-tamakan ang inyong dignidad (I did not announce in the papers who my choice would be, because I wanted to respect your dignity),” Garcia told the newly elected ABC officials.
Moalboal ABC president Susan Nueva said she hopes to get a part of the aid for the development of Barangay Saavedra, which she said has become a tourist destination because of its white sand beach.
Celis, though, has yet to meet with the members before outlining the projects the P1 million can be used for.
Brother
Celis, 50, is the ninth child in a family with 12 children. She followed in the footsteps of her mother Lourdes Derama, who was also the Barangay Captain of Poblacion, Boljoon and served as an ABC president at one time.
Boljoon Mayor Deogenes Derama is Celis’ younger brother.
Derama attended the elections to show support for his “Ate Daday,” whom he described as “a good person.” Celis is a mother of three and married to 52-year-old Alejandrino.
In Lapu-Lapu City, the ABC elections proceeded in a similarly uncontroversial fashion.
Pajo Barangay Captain Leo Mercado won a second term as ABC president and ex-officio City Council member, running unopposed. Paz Radaza, the mayor’s wife and incumbent barangay captain of Mactan, was reelected treasurer in the elections held in a restaurant in Barangay Pusok.
“We have agreed among us on who should be the ABC president. And since nobody objected, we cast our votes according to that agreement. We were not influenced by anyone. It was for the good of the association and the individual barangay,” Radaza said.
More income
From casting to canvassing of votes, the election lasted four hours, beginning at 10:15 a.m. Representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Commission on Election (Comelec) ensured that rules were strictly followed.
After inducting the ABC officers, Mayor Arturo Radaza reminded the captains of the City’s additional budgetary obligations.
He pointed out the expenses to operate the Lapu-Lapu City and the Sta. Rosa District Hospitals, which were turned over by Cebu Province last Dec. 21 through a memorandum of agreement. The estimated cost of running both hospitals is at least P40 million a year.
“We should help one another, especially since we are now highly urbanized. We must raise our annual income,” he said.
All 30 barangays in Lapu-Lapu City are led by allies of the city administration, after Radaza’s handpicked candidates won the barangay elections in Punta Engaño and Basak, the last strongholds of the opposition in the Oct. 29 elections. (JGA/AIV)
