The case of Mabatid
It looks like what Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña did in the 2016 elections has come back to haunt him. Or that seems to be happening in the coming election of officials of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) in the city. The head of the ABC will sit as an ex-officio member of the Cebu City Council where the current dominance of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) has remained shaky.
Osmeña is fielding Kasambagan Barangay Captain Franklin Ong for the ABC presidency. The opposition Barug Team Rama has Tisa Barangay Captain Philip Zafra. The third barangay captain in the running, Mabolo’s Nina Mabatid, supposedly has the support of President Rodrigo Duterte and, by extension (or is it the other way around?) Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino.
The mayor obviously suspects Mabatid’s loyalty because he disowned her after she won the post of Mabolo barangay captain. Then he appointed Mabatid’s opponent in the barangay polls, Daniel Arguedo, as head of the barangay mayor’s office, which is only created where the barangay chief is not aligned with the BOPK. He is also tightening efforts to ensure Ong’s win in the ABC elections set for July 30.
Of the three bets, Mabatid seems to be the odd man (okay, woman) out. Osmeña wants the BOPK to be solidly for Ong. That Zafra has the support of Barug Team Rama is a no-brainer. But the support of the president and Dino for Mabatid is another thing. Duterte has a strong following in the city, something that Osmeña pounced on when he rode on the former Davao City mayor’s coattails in 2016. Many believe Osmeña’s support for Duterte was what made him win over Rama in that election.
Of course, the election of ABC officers is a local undertaking much like the elections for Cebu City officials in 2016. Barangay captains fear Osmeña more or are apt to listen to the prodding of the Barug Team Rama leadership. Will the barangay captains be swayed by Duterte’s support for Mabatid? That obviously is what Mabatid is counting on.
This is what makes the election of ABC officers in the city interesting. Who among the forces trying to influence the outcome of the ABC polls will prevail?