SOME 300 senior citizens in Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City missed the validation process of their credentials after they went to the wrong venue on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020.
Fedella Dolios, 88, said the validation of Banilad senior citizens’ papers often happened at the barangay hall. However, she did not know that the activity Wednesday was held at Lover’s Lane, a private property in the village.
“Nganong gilisodlisod man gyud mi? Senyor na man mi (Why do we have to experience this kind of trouble? We are already senior citizens),” she said.
Banilad has a population of 1,100 senior citizens. More than 700 of the elderly validated their credentials last Wednesday.
The Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca) of Mandaue City conducts an annual validation of its members to check who are still alive and possess the credentials that will enable them to receive financial aid from the City.
The senior citizen association elections held in Banilad last January became controversial after one candidate for the group’s leadership, Buensocesa Yap, complained about the polls. After she was defeated by Dante Bercede—brother of Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede—to become the group’s president, she said Dante’s win was invalid as it was held in Lover’s Lane, an open court located near the residences of the Bercedes.
However, Mayor Jonas Cortes said that Dante is the rightful winner as the election that chose him had complied with the guidelines set by the federation of senior citizen presidents and duly noted by the City Council. Lover’s Lane was only the chosen venue.
The Bercedes are allies of Cortes. Yap and her son incumbent Banilad, Mandaue City Barangay Captain Greg Yap support Cortes’ rival, former mayor Gabriel Luis “Luigi” Quisumbing.
Flocking to Osca
Dolios and her fellow senior citizens went to the Osca in the day care center compound of Barangay Centro on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. Some Osca personnel were visibly uneasy after several senior citizens started to shout, showing their displeasure at waiting in the long queue and at their fellow elderly who were caught cutting in line.
They were also irked after they were told that the Osca would not validate their papers as majority of its personnel were deployed to the city’s 27 barangays to conduct the validation process.
The Osca will extend its validation of senior citizens’ papers on Feb. 24-Feb. 28. This will happen in its office.
A person who was in Buensocesa’s slate said it was the vice mayor who stopped the validation at the barangay gym.
In a separate interview, Glenn denied the allegation, saying announcements through flyers and posters had been made prior to the validation process. He said he was told that some barangay workers had misled several senior citizens by informing them the activity would be held in the barangay gym.
“In fact, those barangay workers who announced that the validation would be held at the gym went to the Lover’s Lane to be validated,”
Glenn said.
He said it was the decision of the newly elected senior citizen officials in Banilad, led by Dante, to hold the validation process in Lover’s Lane. (KFD)