CEBU, Philippines - A signature campaign to support the flyover projects of Representative Rachel “Cutie” del Mar is being done in the north district barangays.
Last Saturday, however, it has reached even to a south district barangay where some residents were allegedly made to sign the petition during a feeding program.
The feeding program was initiated by Barangay Kinasang-an through the Sangguniang Kabataan every Saturday.
Some residents complained that they thought what they were signing was an attendance sheet but later found out that it was the petition supporting the flyover projects. They felt deceived.
Kinasang-an Captain Susan Enriquez confirmed that the petition has reached the barangay which came as a surprise because Kinasang-an is not in the north district where the flyover projects are about to be constructed.
“Nahibulong bitaw ko nganong ila ‘tong gidala didto kay wala man mi sa north,” Enriquez said.
She said they were supposed to have only the feeding program for the children in sitios Lower Paradise III and Villa Agbati.
“Pero kay tungod naa naman, giingnan man sila nga wala’y pugsanay, ang kato rang makauyon sa flyover ang mupirma,” Enriquez said.
She said she doesn’t know who brought the petition in her barangay except that they are from the north district.
Del Mar said that she couldn’t possibly conduct the feeding in Kinasang-an because it is not her district.
“This is obviously a disinformation from the other side. Don’t know why they have to resort to lies and foul tactics,” she said.
When asked if her camp initiated the signature campaign, she said, “Put it this way, we are consolidating our support.”
Her father, former Rep. Raul del Mar said that if there is such a petition that reached the area, the residents who complained could have simply erased their signatures.
“It’s actually very easy to have the error corrected by simply insisting to having his or her signature erased or cancelled,” he said.
South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña also denied having an on-going feeding program in Kinasang-an and the activities he attended where he actually got personal encounter with his constituents last Saturday were in the barangay hall of Guadalupe and Carreta where he distributed up to P10,000 cash assistance to fire victims.
“I did not even mention flyover, absolutely no petition asked,” Osmeña said.
Osmeña supports the flyover projects because he said building the flyover is similar to widening of roads but they have a big difference in costing, which is contrary to Mayor Michael Rama’s position.
Osmeña said widening of roads is very expensive compared to building flyovers.
Rama wants the Department of Public Works and Highways to divert the funds for the flyover by widening the roads instead, particularly the Ban-Tal area.
Rama said the city does not need two additional flyovers apart from the fact that the flyovers can destroy the aesthetic value of the city. — (FREEMAN)