Mabolo bet claims strong evidence against Mabatid

THE camp of Mabolo barangay captain candidate Daniel Francis Arguedo said yesterday they have enough evidence to unseat Mabolo Barangay Captain Prisca Niña Mabatid.

Arguedo’s lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan said they have the documents to prove that Mabatid is not a bona fide resident of Mabolo and is thus unqualified to sit as barangay captain.

Arguedo filed a quo warranto petition against Mabatid in the Municipal Trial Courts in Cities (MTCC) for residency issues along with a vote-buying complaint on May 24.

While the vote-buying case was dismissed last May 28, court hearings are ongoing in Branch 1 of MTCC presided by Judge Monalila Tecson.

“She admitted, in many instances and documents, that her house is at Number 1, Sunny Hills Subdivision, Talamban, Cebu City. That should merit that she is not an actual resident of Barangay Mabolo,” Ligutan said.

Ligutan cited court pleadings, registration of Mabatid’s  vehicle at the Land Transportation Office (LTO), deeds of sale of her acquired properties and the business permit applications of Mabatid’s businesses which bore the Talamban address.

Ligutan said Mabatid has no property in Barangay Mabolo and her family is living in Barangay Talamban. Mabatid said she was born and raised in Mabolo.

“I was born and raised at that house beside the river in Mabolo. Even if I bought properties outside Mabolo, that doesn’t mean that I am no longer  a resident of Mabolo,” Mabatid said.

“In fact, when I started my visa center business, my first office was at our very house near the river. That was where I started my humble beginnings,” she said.

Mabatid said she was a registered voter of Mabolo since 1990 and has never transferred her voter’s registration ever since. But Ligutan said residency and voter registration are different matters.

“We will prove that in court. But we are confident of how strong the case is,” Ligutan said.

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