Faelnar: I won't stop my son from running

CEBU, Philippines – Guadalupe barangay captain Eugenio "Jing-Jing" Faelnar will not ask his son, barangay councilor Dino Faelnar, not to pursue his intention to run for the barangay's top elective post even if south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña will not support his candidacy.

"Siyaro, 40-anyos na kana si Dino kahibalo na siya og unsay maayo ug kon unsay dili. Bahala na siya kon unsay iyang hukom," said Faelnar, who could no longer seek reelection on the coming October 25 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

Osmeña had said that if the young Faelnar decides to slide down and run as barangay councilor, he will give his full support to him but will not extend him the same if he will run as barangay captain.

The former mayor and Faelnar, who sits as ex-officio member of the City Council being president of the Association of Barangay Councils, used to be very close friends. Their relationship however turned sour after Osmeña sniffed some anomalous infrastructure projects in the barangays, including in Guadalupe, where Osmeña is living.

Faelnar admitted there are still unimplemented projects worth about P15 million in his barangay.

"Kon si Dino ang makadaug nga kapitan, dili kaha siya kombinsihon sa iyang amahan nga ipadayon ang project ngadto sa Arante?" Osmeña said.

Osmeña believed some barangay officials received huge commissions in exchange for awarding most of the about P200 million-worth of infrastructure projects to E.M. Arante Construction.

It was reported that of the P200 million worth of barangay projects, worth P156 million of them were awarded to E.M. Arante Construction prompting Osmeña to ask the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Manila to investigate the reported anomaly.

According to Osmeña, he is scheduled to meet with the DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson in Manila next week to find out the outcome of the investigation that he had requested.

Osmeña said he has nothing personal against Faelnar and he only wants the government funds that the city had entrusted to the barangays during his stint as mayor to be spent wisely. (FREEMAN)