Threats, ‘vote-buying’ heat up ABC elections

There’s only a few more days before the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) Cebu City Chapter holds its elections on July 30, but one of two leading contenders for president still has yet to make a decision.

What’s keeping Mabolo Barangay Captain Prisca Niña Mabatid from running against her former ally, Kasambagan Barangay Captain Franklyn Ong?

Aside from controversies, such as allegations of massive vote-buying, Mabatid said she has been receiving death threats.

“Technically, I am ready. I have the numbers, I have the platforms, I know what to do if I become the president. But I am not decided yet because I am considering the safety of my family, especially my kids. Of course, I think it’s automatic that I will receive threats because they will move heaven and earth for me not to run for ABC president,” she said.

Before she was disowned by Mayor Tomas Osmeña from BOPK last month, Mabatid had been vocal about being endorsed by the Office of the President for president of the ABC.

Mabatid lamented that she started receiving threats after she made that pronouncement.

“I have no idea who’s sending these, but it must be a political opponent. I am experiencing all these troubles, all these humiliations, insults, controversies ever since people heard that I’m running for ABC,” Mabatid said.

She said the Office of the President has already offered at least 20 police officers to serve as her security personnel. But whether or not Mabatid has received threats, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said this may be expected with all the controversies surfacing against the former since last month.

“If you start behaving like that, of course, people will get angry at you. I don’t care. I just have to answer her lies. She did not deny that she offered money (ranging from P200,000 to P1 million to BOPK barangay captains). Her constant refusal to deny it practically means that she offered money,” he said.

Mabatid, though, stressed that she was not bribing anybody since what she offered was “financial assistance” to help her colleagues pursue programs in their respective barangays.

“I offered a monetary support to help their constituents. I am offering them health care for constituents and the barangay captains themselves so that they will enjoy the privilege of hospitalization for free in private hospitals,” she said.

But Osmeña is not buying it.

“What the people are seeing is not whether you’re vote-buying, it’s showing that you’re corrupt to the core. She’s telling the captains to compromise their principles and rights so she can become president of the ABC? What does that show? Shes an embarrassment to Cebu, to Mabolo. People of Mabolo are very good, they’re not like that. I have never seen a barangay captain like that,” Osmeña said.

“I’m not confident because she has a lot of money. I’m just hopeful that these people will support what is fair and true and I’m very proud of the eight barangay captains who came forward and admitted. It’s not easy to turn down P1 million and they’re not rich. Atong tagaan og respeto,” he said.

But despite reports of an alleged massive vote-buying, Ong remains remains unfazed by the possibility of running against a former ally.

BOPK has at least 50 of the city’s 80 barangay captains as allies who are expected to support Ong.

A sea of black shirts occupied almost all the seats during the ABC general assembly for newly elected and re-elected punong barangays yesterday at Bayfront Hotel.

The shirts beared the words: “Bag-Ong ABC” at the front and “#BarugananDiliMabayran” at the back.