Barili leaders stay with One Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Less than two weeks since Barili Mayor Teresito Mariñas jump-shipped to Liberal Party from One Cebu, his 10 councilors and 39 of 42 barangay captains in the town pledged their loyalty to One Cebu.

The 10 councilors and 39 barangay captains signed a manifesto of “undying support and loyalty” to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Third District Rep. Pablo John Garcia, Provincial Board Members Alex Binghay and Cesar Ian Zambo; and Vice Mayor Marlon Garcia.

The three other barangay captains are still with Mariñas.

They also belied Mariñas’ allegations that One Cebu leaders have done nothing for Barili.

“It cannot be denied, that majority, if not all of the projects that can be seen and felt by the people of Barili are through the efforts of the above mentioned personalities,” the manifesto reads.

Some of the projects mentioned include the provincial government’s upgrading of the waterworks system to level 3; the construction of more than 10 school buildings; the rehabilitation of a burnt public market; a road concreting project and the P5.3 million budget approved recently for the Mantalongon Livestock Market.

The governor also turned the Ilaya Bridge from wooden to concrete; asphalted barangay roads and provided school supplies to the elementary and secondary students of Barili, they said.

For his part, Rep. Garcia concreted completely the Barili to Aloguinsan road; provided funds for the construction of the new Legislative Building of Barili, which will be operational by year’s end; and constructed a number of covered courts, a laboratory building at Cebu Technological University-Barili Campus and speech clinic at Balao National High School.

Rep. Garcia promised to provide P400,000 funds for medical, hospitalization and other financial benefits of barangay councilors.

“If all these projects mentioned above were not seen by the mayor of Barili, he may be remiss of his duties and doesn’t know the goings-on of the municipality or worse, he could have deliberately lied to gain political mileage,” the manifesto reads further.

Meanwhile, the Panaghugpong sa mga Kagawad sa Barili nga Nagpakabana, an organization of barangay councilors, was also revived yesterday.

The group claimed to have 90 percent of barangay councilors of 42 barangays as members and will be supporting One Cebu and the slate of Marlon in the 2013 elections.

Marlon said Mariñas’ move to leave One Cebu has solved the party’s problem of who it should support in 2013. — (FREEMAN)