Mabolo Barangay Captain Prisca Niña Mabatid has turned the tables on her accusers by throwing the allegations of vote buying against her back at them.
Mabatid, who remains an independent barangay captain after she was kicked out from the Bando Osmena Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK), denied the vote buying allegations from Cebu City Mayor and BO-PK chief, Tomas Osmena, and instead accused Osmena and the BO-PK candidate for the July 30 Association of Barangay Councils Cebu City (ABC Cebu City) president, Kasambagan Barangay Captain Franklyn Ong, as the ones who allegedly made offers to the barangay chiefs allegedly in exchange for their votes.
“It is quite amusing bordering on being incredible for Mayor Osmeña to release to the public that some of his closest allies in the likes of Barangay Captains Vic Buendia (Labangon), Sergio Ocaña (Sawang Calero) and others were offered huge sums of money ranging P300,000 to P1,000,000 just to entice them to vote for (me),” said Mabatid in statement that she sent to Cebu Daily News on Saturday (July 21).
“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 that he had with the barangay captains,” she added.
On Friday, eight barangay captains allied with Osmeña in the BOPK aired their claims that massive, vote-buying had been doing the rounds among village chiefs to sway them on supporting Mabatid’s bid for ABC presidency.
Mabatid was earlier endorsed by Barug Team Rama to run for ABC Cebu City president in the upcoming elections after their candidate Tisa Barangay Captain Philip Zafra backed out from the race for ABC chief.
However, Mabatid said she had not yet decided whether to push through with her plans on running for the post.
When sought for comment, Ong denied Mabatid’s allegations.
“But I’ve been going around the barangays to see what are the problems among them, said Ong on his meetings with the barangay captains.
“I don’t know what she’s talking about, but it will be better if she will ask the barangay captains who had been offered (money),” said Ong on Mabatid’s allegations in a phone interview yesterday.
Osmeña, on the other hand, dared Mabatid to produce the barangay captains whom she claimed to have received incentives from him and Ong.
“Note that she did not deny (allegations that) she offered to bribe barangay officials. She is smearing the integrity of the ABC. Niña, do the Cebuanos a favor, Alis Dyan!,” said Osmena in a text message.