Ong, Zafra to slug it out in ABC-Cebu City polls

FRANKLIN Ong of Barangay Kasambagan and Councilor Philip Zafra of Barangay Tisa will most likely slug it out in the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC)-Cebu City Federation elections scheduled anytime this month.

This developed after Ong and Zafra were eyed by their respective parties as official bets for the ABC-Cebu City elections whose winner will earn an ex-officio seat in the city council.

Ong is with the administration party Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) while Zafra is with the opposition Barug Team Rama-PDP Laban.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who heads BOPK, has earlier said that he ‘would place his bet’ on Ong as the next president of ABC-Cebu City.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella of Barug on the other hand, previously announced that they will be endorsing Zafra as their party’s candidate.

Sought for comments, Ong said he is willing to lead BOPK in the ABC-Cebu City Federation elections.

“I am humbled and honored at the same time that I got the support from our mayor,” Ong said.

If elected as the federation’s president, he said he will prioritize addressing the garbage collection in the barangay level, and fast-track the release of financial assistance for barangay tanods.

Meanwhile, Zafra, the outgoing ABC – Cebu City president, said he welcomes anyone, including Ong, to run as the leader of the federation.

During the recent barangay and SK polls, Ong was reelected as barangay captain of Kasambagan. He is a businessman, who owns and operates Pasajero Motors Corp., (Pamocor). Zafra on the other hand, was also reelected as Tisa’s village chief.

Due to multiple delays in the barangay elections, Zafra served for five years as ABC – Cebu City president allowing Barug to hold a majority in the Cebu City Council.

He was elected in December 2013 when 65 of the city’s 80 barangay captains were allied with Barug.

However, the May 14 twin polls saw a massive shift in the city’s political landscape when 51 BOPK candidates won while Barug only has 29 winners.

With this scenario, Zafra said their party is expecting a BOPK ally to be elected as the next ABC – Cebu City president.

A victory by Ong will give BOPK the majority in the city council, something that Osmeña had been salivating all these years.

An imminent victory by Ong prompted Zafra to remind the new set of barangay officials to exercise ‘checks and balances.’

“I am hoping that our barangay officials will view issues from that aspect,” Zafra said.