A TOTAL of 162 village officials of Bacolod City -- 15 punong barangays, 130 kagawads, six Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairmen, and 11 SK kagawads -- took their oath of office before their colleague Thursday night, June 7, at Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose Activity Center.
It was outgoing Barangay 33 captain Karren Pineda, who is also an incoming kagawad, who administered their oath of office, and not Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., as earlier announced.
Abang Lingkod party-list Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano has organized the mass oath-taking activity with the presence of former Bacolod City vice mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson whose son Juan Enrique also swore in as kagawad of Barangay Sum-ag.
Barangay Granada captain Alfredo Talimodao called themselves as "survivors" of the recent barangay elections.
For Barangay Estefania captain Jerry Tingson, they were considered "battle-tested" barangay and SK officials who said that it was God who helped them through Paduano.
"We were badly hit by a tsunami. But we survived it," he said.
Former vice mayor Sayson said he started his political career in the barangay and he was the first village chief of Sum-ag who was elected councilor of the city.
"I am happy to reminisce my days in the barangay. I am also here because of my son Juan Enrique who also swore in as barangay kagawad," he said.
Moreover, Paduano said no one can claim your victory except you who really did their best to win in the recent barangay and SK elections.
"You are all survivors of war. It was the hardest and dirtiest Barangay and SK polls that ever happened in Bacolod City where manipulation and election fraud happened. State resources and machinery were used against those who did not go with the other political camp," Paduano said.
He told them to wait for another 60 days for him to declare his final political plans. But what is certain now is that he will transfer his voter's registration to Bacolod City from E.B. Magalona.
When the Commission on Elections opens its office for voter's registration, "I will be filing my voter's registration on the very first day," he added.
Meanwhile, the barangay and SK officials came in their barong and Filipiniana attires during the mass oath-taking rites.
As to why Pineda replaced the governor as the administering officer, Paduano said, "Even Vice President Leni Robredo swore in before a barangay official. Punong Barangay Pineda is their Leni Robredo."