A fire victim looks for valuables that can be salvaged from her home that was razed by fire on May 31 in Sitio Puntod, Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City. CDND PHOTO / Gerard Francisco
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has declared a state of calamity in Barangay Mambaling five days after a fire razed 105 houses in Sitio Puntod on May 31, which displaced 156 families or 615 individuals.
The declaration was made in the midst of an ongoing dispute involving two political rivals fighting for the right to be Mambaling’s barangay chief.
Elected Barangay Captain Gines Abellana refused to step down despite the 24-month suspension imposed by the Cebu City Council on January 9, 2019 for abuse of authority following a complaint filed by four barangay councilors, who claimed that Abellana allegedly withheld their honoraria.
Abellana has been holding his own sessions and has been carrying out his functions at the Mambaling Barangay Hall.
He argued that his appeal to the Office of President allows him to function as the village chief even if the Cebu City Council says he is suspended.
CDN Digital tried to get Abellana’s side but he was not available for comment.
Acting Barangay Captain Anna Marie Palomo, who has a certificate of incumbency from the Department of Interior and Local Government in Central Visayas (DILG-7) which gives her the authority to lead the village, said this situation has placed Mambaling at a disadvantage.
Palomo said she has not conducted a proper barangay council session since January 2019, which is the primary reason why a state of calamity was not immediately declared in Mambaling following the fire.
Declaring a state of calamity requires the approval of the barangay council.
Without the declaration of the state of calamity, Palomo said they cannot access the P527 million calamity fund of the barangay that could have been used to purchase building materials that can be distributed to the victims within a few days after the May 31 fire.
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Although the state of calamity was only declared five days after the fire, Palomo said she is grateful that the city councilors took it upon themselves to make the declaration. The declaration now allows the city to tap its own calamity fund to extend assistance to Barangay Mambaling.
“The City Council will tap its calamity fund. They will deliver it to Mambaling through the Department of Social Welfare and Services and we will just help in the distribution,” said Palomo in a phone interview.
The Cebu City Council approved placing Mambaling under a state of calamity during the regular session on Tuesday, June 4.
Despite not being able to tap the barangay’s calamity fund, Palomo said the barangay continues to assist the fire victims by tapping the assistance of the private sector.
She, however, admits that the current political situation is not allowing her to function effectively as an acting barangay captain.
“The barangay captain can only implement what the council has decided upon. Without a barangay council, the chief cannot function completely,” said Palomo.
For this reason, Palomo will bring the matter to the Office of the Ombudsman with the intent to file charges of dereliction of duty and dishonesty against the councilors who did not attend the sessions that she conducted.
Palomo said the actions of these councilors stalled the important projects in the barangay. Palomo hopes that the Ombudsman will preventively suspend the councilors.
After the Cebu City Council declared a state of calamity in their village, Palomo hopes that the council and the DILG will intervene in her situation with Abellana so she can finally function as the barangay chief. / celr