A GROUP of senior citizens in Cagayan de Oro City laments the supposed non-action of the City Government to eject a “disrespectful and bully” fellow member.
Jessie Legaspi, head of the Office of the Senior Citizens Association (OSCA), said Alfonso Goking, a former city councilor, has padlocked some rooms of the OSCA office, claiming it as his.
Legaspi said since she was elected June last year, she hasn't had a decent meeting inside an office with Goking almost driving them away of the office.
"Our pension payouts has been affected because we cannot hold office," she said.
She said Goking's attitude and ways are already brought to the attention of the city government but up to this day, the matter has not been resolved yet.
Legaspi said Goking told them it is his building, thus refusing to vacate his office.
"But this building is built by CSWD (City Social Welfare and Development), and the lot is owned by the city government, she is only the caretaker of this building as chapter president of the Cafesca (Cagayan de Oro Federation of Senior Citizens Association)," she said.
There are times when, Goking wouldn't allow them to hold the payouts of senior citizen in the OSCA office, to prioritize "social activities" such as dancing for the seniors.
Goking also caused division among senior citizens by retaining the debunked Cafesca, Oro Federation of Senior Citizens Association (Oro Fesca) president Leonardo Bantilan said.
Bantilan said Cafesca has 15 chapters as its members despite being unrecognized by the city government.
The Oro Fesca has 85 chapters of senior citizens throughout the city.
Bantilan said Goking has no more personality in the OSCA office.
Bantilan alleged that Goking is continuously defying orders because he's got City Councilor Leon Gan's support. Gan is the chairman of the committee on senior citizens affairs.
"All premises of the senior citizens office should be open for use of all senior citizens especially. We seniors shouldn’t be fighting against each other because we have the same vision and objective, and that is to help our fellow senior citizens," he adds.
The group is urging the city government to solve the issue the soonest possible so they can continue to work unhampered. Legaspi said the city has filed an eviction case against Goking but they haven't heard of any update since.
Julius Pamisa, CSWD's Division head for Community and Social Development meanwhile said the Goking's evictment case is still at the City Legal Office as they prepare to bring it to the court.
Pamisa said they have already issued a notice to Goking, urging him to vacate his office since December last year but to no avail.
Pamisa said Goking was a former federation president of the senior citizens. And although his term already ended, he continues to hold office at OSCA.
"We will exhaust all legal means to remove him, but now we are still processing the papers and we included the padlocking incident to our complaint," he said.