Zafra out, Mabatid in as Barug choice for ABC prexy – Labella

IT’S now official.

Tisa Barangay Captain Philip Zafra will no longer seek reelection as head of the Association of Barangay Councils in Cebu City (ABC – Cebu City).

Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella announced that the opposition Barug Team Rama – PDP Laban will be supporting Mabolo Barangay Captain Prisca Niña Mabatid in the event that the controversial village chief pushes through with her plans to run as the next ABC– Cebu City Federation president.

“Captain Mabatid, technically, was endorsed by PDP – Laban. So, we, in Barug, will be supporting her with our alliance with PDP–Laban,” Labella told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.

Labella, who is the president of PDP–Laban Cebu City Chapter, also revealed that Zafra, on Thursday, informed Barug members that he no longer wanted to be reelected as federation president.

“I was supporting Captain Zafra but when we learned that he will be waiving his candidacy, so it will be Mabatid. The group has also talked about supporting her, and we agreed. There were no objections,” he added.

Sought for comments, Mabatid said that she had yet to make a final decision on whether or not to run for the top federation seat.

Meanwhile Zafra, who sat as the head of ABC – Cebu City for five years, told reporters in a press conference that he will be focusing more on his duties and responsibilities as the village chief of Tisa.

“I’m not seeking reelection because I made a covenant with our constituents in Tisa to concentrate on our barangay,” said Zafra.

Earlier, Zafra announced that he was not going to seek reelection because Barug lacked the numbers needed to secure the federation seat.

Zafra refused to disclose who among the contenders he planned to support during this coming ABC elections on July 30.

“The ABC elections are still a long way to go. It’s high time for me to focus on Barangay Tisa. I know that Kap Mabatid (wants to run) as a contender. And with Captain Franklyn Ong (Barangay Kasambagan), they’re worth it for the position,” Zafra said.

Defectors from BOPK

Meanwhile, Mambaling Barangay Captain Gines Abellana claimed that several village chiefs from the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) were planning to leave the group to support Mabatid who was recently booted out from BOPK amid allegations that she had physically assaulted employees of a hotel in Cebu City.

Abellana, who left BOPK to support Mabatid, refused to divulge the identities as well as the number of barangay captains supposedly planning to leave the group of Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

There are 52 village chiefs currently allied with BOPK, while 36 are with Barug.

Both Mabatid and Abellana said they will remain “independent” for now.

Osmeña shrugged off Abellana’s claims.

“I don’t know, whatever,” said Osmeña.