Paknaan senior citizens forcibly enter the barangay gymnasium where the distribution of financial assistance was held. (CDN PHOTO/NORMAN MENDOZA)
A total of 1,010 senior citizens from Barangay Paknaan in Mandaue City received financial assistance worth P2,000 from the city government.
But around 500 of them were barred from entering the Paknaan gymnasium where the distribution of financial assistance was held around 10 a.m. yesterday for not wearing the new senior citizens ID.
But they were able to receive their P2,000 cash assistance in the afternoon after filling out a form for the new ID.
Billy Diano, president of Senior Citizens Pakna-an Chapter who is allegedly not recognized by the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), said they were initially barred from entering the Paknaan gymnasium for not wearing IDs required under the new OSCA guidelines.
Diano described the move as “politically motivated” as they supported mayoral bet Lolypop Ouano-Dizon, the rival of Mayor Gabriel Luis “Luigi” Quisumbing, during the last May election.
Diano alleged that they were also not informed by OSCA about the giving of certificates of candidacy (COCs) to another group of senior citizens who elected from among themselves during the synchronized national election of senior citizens in January.
Paknaan Barangay Captain Malaquias Soco explained that Diano’s group could not accept that they were no longer officers of Senior Citizens Paknaan chapter.
Melinda Bihag, the OSCA officer-in-charge, said all chapter officers were called to their office to file their COCs but Diano’s group didn’t appear.
The city council of Mandaue denied accreditation to Diano’s group for “disobeying the law” as adopted by the council regarding the National Board Memorandum Circular No. 01-2013 known as the Guidelines of Elections (Synchronization of Federation of Senior Citizens Associations of the Philippines, Inc. and OSCA Election and Nomination with the Local Elections).
Bihag said the new ID system will be for all the senior citizen chapters in Mandaue, but it was first implemented in Barangay Paknaan where senior citizens were divided into two factions.
The city council has not recognized Diano’s group, but only the new set of officers whose president is Gabriel Babon.
Diano reasoned out that their by-laws and constitution are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and they held the election of officers based on their bylaws and constitution.
“Nganong nakapahigayon man sila og election nga wala man silay by-laws and constitution? (Why were they able to conduct an election when they don’t have by-laws and constitution?” asked Diano.
Diano’s group is planning to file a case against Barangay Captain Soco for abuse of authority by taking part in the affairs of the senior citizens such as ordering his barangay tanods not to allow the seniors without IDs to enter the gymnasium and for creating a group against them.
The irate senior citizens forced themselves in by pushing the gate of the gymnasium which the barangay tanods could no longer hold.
The seniors without the IDs were later given their financial assistance after filling out the form for the new ID.
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