Brgy officials probed for "water terrorism"

CEBU, Philippines - Some residents of Barangay Paculob, Dumanjug have sought the intervention of the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas into the alleged “water terrorism” committed by their barangay captain.

Lawyer Edgar Gica, on behalf of the complainants, requested the anti-graft office to investigate Barangay Captain Apolinaria Aleo and Barangay Secretary Rita B. Zozobrado including Barangay Tanods Juan Denopol, Leoncio Belocura, Lorenzo Allosad and Vicente Zulueta.

Gica accused the said barangay officials of “water terrorism” for allegedly cutting off the water supply of their political supporters.

Gica attached in his letter the affidavits of Esmeraldo Faustino, Antonio Villanueva and several other residents of Barangay Paculob whose water supply have been cut off. The complainants believe that the disconnection of their water supply was politically motivated because they campaigned for Efren Gica in the last May 10 elections.

The barangay officials are allegedly supporting Mayor-elect Nelson Garcia. The complainants claimed that on May 27, two weeks after the election, Aleo and the other respondents disconnected their water supply.

The complainants said they were told that their water connections have to be cut off because they have not paid their monthly bills. On April 25, the same group of complainants also filed a complaint before the anti-graft body against Aleo for allegedly not issuing official receipts for water payments.

The complainants alleged that there were over 100 of them who were not issued receipts for payments they have made for their water consumption. Some residents have questioned the alleged anomalous practice.

They admitted that aside from politics this could be another reason why they have been “terrorized” by their barangay officials.   (FREEMAN NEWS)