BARANGAY captains in at least four upland barangays in Cebu City have been advised to be vigilant after they received death threats from an unknown person.
Philip Zafra, president of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) of Cebu City, said the barangay captains of Bonbon, Sudlon II, Buot and Tabunan told him during Wednesday’s meeting with the barangay officials about the death threats.
During their meeting, Zafra said he personally called the cellphone number that was used to text the barangay captains.
“Niingon sya nga naa kuno’y nisugo nila nga patyon ang barangay captain. Pero di kuno niya maako ug himo mao nang mangayo na lang siya’g kwarta para makauli sa Ozamiz,” Zafra told reporters about the unknown person who answered the phone.
(He said they were contracted to kill the barangay captain. But he said he couldn’t do it that’s why he’s just asking for money he could use to go back home to Ozamiz.)
Zafra said they’re now collating the reports as well as those from other barangays so that they can submit a report to the police.
“It’s part of the risks and hazards of the job. But the common stand of the ABC is that they should not be complacent because we can’t be sure if this is true or not,” he told the barangay captains.
Other barangay captains also reported receiving the same kind of threats with the same modus earlier this year.
The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) has been asked to investigate the incident. But some police officials earlier said the modus is just a case of extortion.
Councilor Dave Tumulak, who heads City Hall’s peace and order program, said these kinds of cases usually happen during the election season, and he also reminded the captains to be vigilant.