City’s opposition endorses Zafra for ABC’s top post

For the second time, Cebu City’s opposition is endorsing reelected Tisa Barangay Captain Phillip Zafra as president of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC).

In a phone interview, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said that endorsing Zafra is the “most logical” option since he is the present head of ABC.

“He is the incumbent. He’s reelected. He deserves to be reelected as ABC president. It’s the number that counts. If other barangay captains choose someone else, let us respect their decision,” he said.

From a councilor’s executive assistant, Zafra became former mayor Michael Rama’s chief of staff before becoming barangay captain of Tisa.

In December 2013, he won the presidency of the ABC, which earned him a seat in the City Council as an ex-officio member.

Five years later, the group has expressed the same intentions of making Zafra their bet for ABC’s top post.

Labella’s pronouncement was received warmly by Zafra, who told reporters that he is “in for the challenge.”

“I’m thankful for the chance given to me by the party,” he said.

If reelected, he plans to maintain existing programs of the ABC and hold seminar workshops for newly elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials, and treasurers and secretaries.

Permanent

He also said that the ABC board will continue to lobby in Congress the passage of a bill making the positions of barangay secretary and treasurer permanent.

“This time, if naay bagong mapili, ilisan man ang tanan so maputol ang atong plans and programa kay walay continuity in the programs and projects. The barangay is the most basic (political unit), so you have to strengthen that unit of the government,” he said.

Instead of by way of appointment, Zafra suggests choosing a treasurer from the Bureau of Local Finance, and a secretary from the Department of Interior and Local Government.

But his bid for reelection as ABC president may not be an easy journey following the result of the May 14 barangay and SK elections.

For the past five years, the opposition had 65 barangay captains under its wing, while Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) only had 15 allies.

But unofficial results from the City Barangay Affairs Office revealed that 49 barangay captains of last Monday’s polls who won are BOPK allies, while 31 are identified with the opposition.

Zafra, though, remains hopeful and unfazed with the results.

“Based sa elections na, but in reality the ABC position, it will always be up to the captains,” he said.

BOPK, on the other hand, has yet to finalize who will they be endorsing for ABC president.

But Mayor Tomas Osmeña said that Kasambagan barangay captain-elect Franklyn Ong is one of the frontrunners.

“We’re still discussing it. He is my choice, but everybody has to say their piece,” he said. /