Ayuman: Osmeña to manipulate polls

CEBU, Philippines — Apas Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman has accused Mayor Tomas Osmeña of manipulating the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections by allegedly appointing his allies to the Board of Tellers.

He threatened to file charges against the mayor and even said that Osmeña may be colluding with the Commission on Elections.

Osmeña welcomed the threat and denied the accusation, saying the same is but a diversionary tactic by the opposition group, the Barug Team Rama Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban, to which Ayuman belongs.

He said the group is diverting the public’s attention because voters are already aware that opposition members are “obstructionists”.

Osmeña heads the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).

On a Facebook post on Monday, Ayuman said he received information that Osmeña is using his position to appoint the members of the electoral board. He urged other barangay captains in the opposition to confirm the information.

"Sa paningkamot aning yabag nga mayor nga mapildi ug manikas sila sa umaabot nga barangay elections. Susiha ninyo ang listahan sa board of canvassers ...gikan sa chairman...poll clerk ug third member...Kay kaning si Tombully (Osmeña) gipasud ang mga empleyado  sa city hall isip poll clerk ug third member," Ayuman said.

He clarified with The FREEMAN last night that he is actually referring to the Board of Tellers, which is under the electoral board.

At City Hall, Osmeña told reporters, "No, I have not picked anything, either canvassers or watchers. Who am I to pick the watchers?"

"He will file a case over anything and everything. They even make up cases... Because these people cannot accomplish anything by themselves," he said of Ayuman and the opposition.

In a separate interview, Councilor Jose Daluz III said he is among those who noticed that some City Hall workers and barangay leaders allied with BOPK are in the electoral board.

He said he immediately called the attention of Comelec Regional Director Veronico Petalcorin and asked the latter to remove them from the board.

"Ang ako lang, among gi-raise nganong ari man sa City Hall mangita og electoral board members. Just to remove the perception of politics, dili nalang pasilbihon ang employees," Daluz said.

Petalcorin reportedly told him that they are allowing government employees to serve in the elections because there is a lack of public school teachers who want to serve in the May 14 polls.

Petalcorin, for his part, said he already asked all election officers to review the list of electoral board members to check whether there are indeed City Hall workers there.

“Gipa-review pa nato sa atoang election officers kay naa man gyu’y hierarchy. Kinahanglan kung pwede mangita sila og private schools… Sunod, ato sa national government employees,” he said.

Daluz urged public school teachers to serve in the elections.

“Akong suggestion sa maestro, pag-serve mo uy. Ngano nanglikay man mo? This is once in every three years,” he said.

On April 8, 2016, former president Benigno Aquino III approved Republic Act 10756 or An Act Rendering Election Service Non-Compulsory for Public School Teachers, Authorizing the Appointment of other Qualified Citizens, Providing for Compensation and other Benefits.”

Section 12 of the law says that public school teachers can be replaced by private school teachers and national government employees who are holding regular or permanent positions, excluding uniformed personnel. (FREEMAN)