DILG-7: No irregularities in ABC-Cebu City polls

The Department of Interior and Local Government in Central Visayas (DILG-7) has not seen any irregularities in the conduct of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) election in Cebu City last Monday.

“There were no violations,” said lawyer Ian Kenneth Lucero, chief of the Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division of DILG-7, adding that election guidelines were properly observed during the conduct of the highly-contested polls.

Earlier, Mabolo Barangay Captain Prisca Niña Mabatid announced her plans of questioning the results of the ABC-Cebu City elections at the Office of the President.

Mabatid, who ran as president of ABC-Cebu City, was defeated by Kasambagan Barangay Captain Franklyn Ong, who garnered 51 votes compared to Mabatid who got zero votes.

Mabatid and her supporters walked out in the middle of the election, after allegedly seeing Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña in the polling area.

Mabatid alleged that Osmeña’s action influenced and intimidated other barangay captains, especially those who are allies of Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) and who have committed to support her.

But Lucero explained that the mayor’s action did not violate any guideline.

“When Osmeña entered the voting area, the casting of votes had not started yet,” Lucero added.

He also explained that when the election was about to start, those who have no participation in the activity were requested to go outside by Tisa Barangay Captain Philip Zafra, including members of the media who were inside the voting area.

Zafra is the former president of ABC-Cebu City and the one who presided over the election that day.

She’s not my judge

Meanwhile, Osmeña just shrugged off Mabatid’s plan of seeking the OP’s help.

“I don’t need to justify myself. She’s not my judge,” said Osmeña.

The mayor also denied that he was inside the venue when the actual casting of votes occurred.

“I just looked inside. And there’s no voting yet. I stood by the door. I didn’t text anybody, or made any sign languages,” explained Osmeña.

Lucero also clarified that the DILG-7 has no jurisdiction over Mabatid’s complaint should she decide to pursue her plan of seeking legal action.

He added that the DILG-7 has no authority as well to determine whether or not, the election was valid.

“It’s their right (to question the result of the election). But the ABC itself has its own election code which also determines who has jurisdiction over the case and its remedy,” he said. /with USJ-R Intern Gerard Vincent Francisco