Mayor’s allies riff on movies to draw voters
AS the Oct. 28 barangay elections draw nearer, election gimmicks can now be seen from some politicians running for key positions in Cebu City’s villages.
In Barangay Guadalupe, for example, “Return of the Jedi” posters are now up. The Star Wars-themed material announces former city councilor Eugenio “Jingjing” Faelnar’s bid to become Guadalupe barangay captain again.
In the poster, Faelnar is dressed as a Jedi knight. In the Faelnar camp, that stands for “Jingjing Diay.”
“We find it catchy. Ambot unsa’y epekto ana sa mga botante (We don’t know how this will affect voters) but we hope it will have a positive effect,” Faelnar’s son, Dino, told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday. Their family and supporters conceptualized the poster, he said.
The elder Faelnar was not available for comment yesterday.
Zorro, too?
Dino said their group has completed their slate for the Oct. 28 barangay elections. They are allied with Team Rama, headed by Mayor Michael Rama.
Faelnar will face incumbent Guadalupe Barangay Captain Michael Gacasan, who is an ally of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK). Faelnar is a former supporter of BOPK. However, BOPK, particularly the group’s leader, former south district congressman Tomas Osmeña, parted ways with Faelnar after he figured in a controversy over allegedly substandard barangay projects implemented by E.M. Arante Construction.
In Barangay Tisa, on the other hand, “Z” posters similar to those of the American action-adventure drama series Zorro can be seen.
The posters are marked: “Zorro is coming soon to your respective polling places on Oct. 28.” They pro- mote Rama’s chief of staff Philip Zafra, who is running to become barangay captain of Tisa.
“It is a marketing strategy to catch the attention of voters in Tisa,” he said. Zafra said he launched his candidacy and introduced the members of his slate yesterday.
Zafra will face Tisa Barangay Councilor Eduardo Cabulao, whose family, Zafra said, has been lording over the village since 1997.
Cabulao is also an ally of BOPK. Zafra said he has decided to run for barangay captain because he wants to serve Tisa.
“This is also in honor of the memories of my late grandfather, former Tisa barangay captain Panyong Savior, by pursuing the unfinished business which he started before, such as addressing our problem in drainage, garbage, orderliness, the lack of access roads to farflung and remote sitios, unemployment and health care, among others,” he added.
While his critics question his residency in Tisa, Zafra explained that his family has lived in the barangay since he was young. He is also a registered voter in the area.
He frequents Consolacion since his wife is a resident here and they manage a school in the town.
Since he will be running in the barangay polls, Zafra said he will file for a leave of absence from City Hall this week so he can focus on his bid.) The Commission on Elections scheduled the filing of COCs from Sept. 29 to Oct. 18.