Mabatid promises to investigate bribe attempt
Mabolo Barangay Captain Prisca Niña Mabatid is not backing down on the challenge of Mayor Tomas Osmeña for her to prove that several barangay captains received offers from Kasambagan Captain Franklyn Ong presumably so they would vote for the latter in the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) election.
Ong is running for ABC president and while Mabatid said the Office of the President has endorsed her for the position, she is yet to make a decision.
Mabatid told The FREEMAN that she will present these barangay captains in due time but did not disclose when.
Eight captains – Clifford Niñal of San Nicolas Proper, Juvito Ladraso of Sapangdaku, Sergio Ocaña of Sawang Calero, Victor Buendia of Labangon, Francisco Benedicto of Zapatera,
Fredie Esmas of Day-as, Virgil Cabigon of Apas, and Domeng Lopez of Tinago – have said they were offered cash to vote for Mabatid but the latter said this is not the case.
“It's the other way around, they are the one offering the barangay captains P300,000 if they vote for Franklyn Ong. In fact, I heard Franklyn is giving them P5,000 every time they have a meeting,” Mabatid said earlier.
In a statement last Saturday, Mabatid said Ong allegedly “enticed” the barangay captains to prepare their passport because he would bring them abroad.
“As a matter of fact, Ong already started enticing his followers to prepare their passports because they will be treated abroad once he wins in addition to the amounts he is giving every meeting he had with the barangay captains,” she said.
Ong shut the allegation down, saying he does not need to bribe barangay captains because most of them are allies of his group, the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).
“I find it illogical, offering to your own. Remember, we are the majority - more than 50 strong. The only promise I made to my fellow BOPK barangay captains is loyalty and service and I will not fail them when I will become the president of ABC. Ang kadaugan nako maoy kadaugan namong tanan," Ong told The FREEMAN.
But Mabatid said her press release “unraveled” Osmeña's intention to resort to vote buying to secure the ABC president position in the July 30 poll.
“He (Osmeña) knew that once he lost the ABC presidency to the camp of Mabatid, he also lost the slim majority in the council,” she said. The ABC president will sit as ex-officio member of the Cebu City Council.
At present, majority of the councilors are allied with BOPK, including Margarita Osmeña, Sisinio Andales, Joy Augustus Young, Jerry Guardo, Eugenio Gabuya Jr., Alvin Arcilla, David Tumulak, Mary Ann Delos Santos, and Sangguniang Kabataan President and ex-officio member Jessica Resch.
Barug Team Rama PDP-Laban allies are Jocelyn Pesquera, Eduardo Rama Jr., Pastor Alcover Jr., Jose Daluz III, Joel Garganera, Raymond Alvin Garcia, Renato Osmeña Jr., and newly appointed councilor Erik Espina. Outgoing ABC President Phillip Zafra is an independent official.