■ PADLOCKED DOOR BARS ENTRY TO ERMITA 'CARETAKER'
Barangay Ermita, Cebu City continues to reject the caretakers assigned to temporarily replace suspended Barangay Captain Felicisimo Rupinta, who, along with members of the barangay council, were preventively suspended for six months after they allegedly refused to help authorities during a drug raid last November. Yesterday, City Administrator Winifredo Orcullo Jr. was supposed to check the barangay’s transactions, but he could not because Rupinta’s office was padlocked. Rupinta said barangay secretary Erwin Peñafort did that because the latter was afraid of “bad elements planting anything that could further taint the suspended village officials’ reputation.”
Cebu City Market Administrator Winifredo Orcullo Jr. failed to sit as caretaker of Barangay Ermita yesterday as access to the village chief's office was padlocked.
Attorney Orcullo, who was accompanied by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) City Director Joyevelyn Calvo and SPO1 Adonis Dumpit, was supposed to check the barangay's transactions, but he was barred from entering.
“I won't force my way in, but I am here as a representative of the mayor (Tomas Osmeña). I was supposed to meet with the personnel to discuss their needs. Although I can't sign any documents as caretaker, I'm already handling Ermita's concerns in behalf of the mayor,” Orcullo said.
As this developed, Calvo, as instructed by DILG 7 Director Rene Burdeos, advised Orcullo to return some other day, when the building is open.
Calvo said the barangay personnel may be held accountable for closing a public office during business hours.
Barangay secretary Erwin Peñafort, for his part, explained that the village chief's office was padlocked for “safety purposes.”
Suspended Barangay Captain Felicisimo Rupinta came to Peñafort's defense, saying that the latter did so in fear of "bad elements planting anything that could further taint the suspended village officials' reputation."
“He locked it because he (Peñafort) was alone, but the main entrance of the building on the ground floor was left open. All the other personnel left work to go to the Court of Appeals to support our court hearing,” Rupinta said.
The suspended official went to the barangay hall after learning that Acting Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella was on his way to check on the development.
The building was opened again at noon yesterday, but Orcullo did not return.
This was not the first time a caretaker failed to enter the barangay hall. Dumpit was supposed to sit as caretaker of Ermita last Monday after being appointed by Osmeña, but senior citizens of the barangay padlocked the barangay hall to block his entry.
They also posted banners on the building's facade to protest the assumption of a non-resident as acting barangay captain.
Rupinta and his seven councilors were preventively suspended for six months after they allegedly failed to cooperate with authorities during a drug raid last year.