Dumanjug mayor, vice clash on election day

CEBU, Philippines - The war between the two top officials of the municipality of Dumanjug since the May 13 elections have continued until yesterday’s barangay elections even they are not the candidates.

Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia and Vice Mayor Efren Guntrano Gica have clashed and engaged in verbal tussle when they saw each other in Barangay Tapon yesterday morning.

Garcia said that he stopped with his driven vehicle at the house of the barangay treasurer of Tapon and spoke with the people to ask about the peace and order in their place.

He said Gica, on board his vehicle, stopped at him and said “sige lang ka pagarpar ha, lamia nimo sumbagon mayora ka.”

Gica confirmed he stopped beside the car of Garcia, opened his window and greeted the ma-yor and said that the barangay election was supposed to be non-partisan thus campaigning for certain candidates is not allowed.

According to Gica, this angered Garcia who replied “sumbagon tika ron.”

Gica said he asked why the mayor was angry when he was only speaking the truth about the nature of the barangay elections as stated in the law.

He alleged that Garcia threatened to shoot him amid the ongoing barangay elections.

This prompted Gica to immediately left the area and headed to the police station where he reported the incident and filed a complaint of grave threat against the mayor.

“Ingon kuno ko pusilon nako siya, nganong mamusil man ko?” Garcia said.

Based on the police blotter recorded at the Dumanjug police station, Gica said the incident transpired around 10:05 in the morning and shortly five minutes after, he filed the police blotter.

P03 Dionesio Tagupa said that more than an hour after Gica reported the incident at the police station, Garcia also arrived put on blotter his complaint against his vice mayor for threatening to punch him.

Garcia narrated that when he dared Gica to punch him, the latter reportedly said “dili lang diri, sa lain lugar lang.”

As stated in the complaint lodged at the police station, Garcia said Gica left when he noticed that a lot of people were listening to their argument.

Gica also alleged that Garcia was going around the schools in the town influencing people to vote for certain candidates.

“Siya tingale,” Garcia told The FREEMAN.

Garcia said he has a lot of people to testify what Gica has done.

“Pagbiya niya, gi-singgitan pa gani siya sa mga tawo ngano giha-gisan ang mayor,” Garcia further said.

Even before the May 2013 elections where the two officials were elected into office and until yesterday’s barangay polls, Garcia and Gica have had a number of squabbles and exchange of criticisms against each other.— /GMR (FREEMAN)