CEBU CITY, Philippines —The Cebu City Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) said it will wait for the decision of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., on whether the barangay elections will be moved or not.
Ex-officio Councilor Franklyn Ong, the president of the ABC, said that the prerogative lies with President Marcos and so the barangay officials will simply wait for his decision.
Should the President decide that the elections will be postponed, the incumbent officials said they will be ready to serve the public for an extended period.
“Kami, huwat lang mi unsay mando sa kahitasan. Kung ilang ipostpone, andam ra mi mopadayon sa among serbisyo,” said Ong.
Cebu City North District Congresswoman Rachel Del Mar filed a House Bill that seeks to postpone the barangay elections on her very first day of office.
Del Mar said in her resolution that the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections will only cause further division in the country as well as additional expenditures.
As for the barangay chiefs in the city, Ong said most have varied opinions on whether the election should be postponed or not.
He understands the national government may want to save funds and move the elections, but he also understands why many local governments want the election to push through.
In the end, Ong said that if the elections push through, the barangays will be prepared for that as well.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama refused to comment on the possibility of the postponement of the barangay elections.
He said that he will wait for President Marcos’ State of the Nation Address (SONA) as he believes that the President will address the matter during his speech.
But Rama said if the elections push through, his administration is also ready.
He did not say if Partido Barug will be fielding candidates but said that he maintains his stand for unity in the city and is open to working with all barangay captains from the opposition party.
“We will make them be in our side, in our Singapore-like Cebu City. Politics can wait,” said Rama.
/bmjo
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