CEBU, Philippines – Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes is keeping his hands off barangays Opao and Looc after the four siblings running against each other there sought his support in the up-coming barangay elections.
Cortes said during a press conference that although the candidates of these two barangays came to his office to seek his support, he said he will not interfere in the up-coming elections but will just let the people decide whom they want to vote.
"It's public knowledge nga naay siblings conflict diha sa Opao busa di gusto interfere ug dili ko gusto mosugnod, I'm trying to patch them busa mostly likely dili ko gusto nga naa ko'y susportahan, busa Zona Libre dyud na diha ug susama ra sad na og kahimtang sa Looc unya," the mayor said.
Cortes further explained that although both conflicting Ouano camps have both claimed having his support, the mayor said that he cannot ignore any of them because Joy Ouano was already with him even before the last elections but Emmarie "Lollipop" Ouano-Dizon joined his camp after the last elections.
He said that the conflicting Ouano camps will have an equal footing under his administration.
Ouano-Dizon welcomed the statement of the mayor and said she was even the one who recommended the zona libre for barangay Opao to Cortes.
Although they have not filed their certificates of candidacies yet, there are already speculations that barangay captain Jovita Ouano, who is now in her last term of office, will slide down and run as barangay councilwoman of Opao but will be fielding her younger brother Rafael to replace her.
There was also speculation that former city mayor now provincial board member Thadeo Ouano will also be supporting his youngest sibling Liza Ouano Icalina, also a barangay councilor, to run as barangay captain of Opao.
Thadeo and her younger sister Joy are in conflict with each other.
Joy even said earlier that her barangay lacked development during the nine-year stint of her brother Thadeo even if they both live there.
She said that big projects only came after Cortes became mayor as she acknowledged the help coming from Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
In the case of Barangay Looc, former city councilor Raul "Pukang" Cabahug already told the mayor that he will be running against his elder brother incumbent barangay captain Caesor "Sol" Cabahug.
This as their nephew, former city councilor Elmer Cabahug, also visited Cortes in his office seeking his support as he is also running for barangay captain against his two uncles.
Both Raul and Elmer Cabahug were former colleagues of the mayor when he was still a city councilor. (FREEMAN)