MABATID
ABC POLLS
It’s going to be a showdown between two business-minded individuals for the presidency of the Association of Barangay Councils in Cebu City (ABC–Cebu City).
This developed after Mabolo Barangay Captain Prisca Niña Mabatid finally decided to run for the ABC post. She filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) yesterday morning.
She will be going head-to-head with Kasambagan Barangay Captain Franklyn Ong who is the bet of the administration bloc, Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).
The ABC polls in Cebu City and the rest of the province are scheduled this Monday, July 30.
Mabatid, albeit running as an independent, was endorsed by the opposition Barug Team Rama–PDP Laban.
Mabatid and Ong owned several businesses. The former operates a visa-application center while the latter is engaged in heavy equipment and motor vehicles.
Mabatid earlier said she was having doubts to run due to the death threats she allegedly received after announcing her intentions of running.
“What made me decide to push through (with the ABC bid) was the barangay captains who are supporting me, the people behind my candidacy. I’m doing this for them,” Mabatid said in a press conference yesterday.
Her running mate is Mambaling Barangay Captain Gines Abellana, with Barrio Luz Captain Ronnie Sab-a as auditor. Among their bets for board members are Lulu Ramirez (Santo Niño) and Dante Tabucal (Sinsin).
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who has been very vocal about his intentions of securing the majority in the council through the ABC, said he doesn’t care if Mabatid is running.
“I don’t care, and talked to the captains already,” Osmeña said.
Presently, there are 52 village chiefs allied with Osmeña’s BOPK while 36 are with Barug.
Mandaue City bets
Meanwhile, two candidates will slug it out for the Mandaue City ABC post.
Incumbent ABC President Ernie Manatad of Barangay Subangdaku is seeking reelection against Greg Yap of Barangay Banilad.
Manatad is confident of winning the post based on the number of village chiefs who took their oath before Congressman Jonas Cortes which totaled 14 compared to the 13 who took their oath before Mayor Luigi Quisumbing.
He said he expects to get two more barangay chairmen to support him.
However, Guizo Barangay Captain Jesus Neri said he will favor Yap since the latter is the bet of Mayor Quisumbing.
Radaza men contest Lapu seat
In Lapu-Lapu City, two candidates who are allies of Mayor Paz Radaza, namely Eduardo Quizon and Arcelito Pijo of Barangay Calawisan will dispute the post.
Cuizon just served his last term as city councilor and won as barangay chief of Barangay Bankal in the recent barangay elections.
Pijo is a neophyte barangay official.
Unchallenged Tining
Incumbent Association of Barangay Councils (ABC)-Cebu Federation Pres. Celestino “Tining” Martinez III is running unopposed.
Last May, Martinez was reelected to his second term as barangay captain of Barangay Cayang, Bogo City.
Martinez served as the former mayor of Bogo City from 1998 to 2007 and was first elected as barangay captain of Barangay Cayang, Bogo City in 2013.
His running mate, former Samboan Mayor Raymond Joseph Calderon, the barangay captain of Barangay Poblacion, is also running unopposed as vice president.
Months before the filing of COC, Calderon was reported to be running for ABC provincial president.
However, Calderon decided not to challenge Martinez after Gov. Hilario Davide III made a request that only one from LP should run.
The federation’s lone candidate for auditor is Barangay Captain Nerisa Arquillano, the ABC president of San Francisco town.
Candidates for Board of Directors include Scott Juvenal Chiong (Naga City), Marietta Bucao (Talisay City), Guillermo Caminero Jr. (Argao), Joie Genesse Derama (Boljoon), Bernabe Gonzales Jr. (Balamban), Wilfredo Diamante (Tuburan), Vicente Fernandez (Dumanjug) and Joseph Redula (Alegria). /with Correspondents Norman V. Mendoza and Jessa Mae O. Sotto