Badjao project driving wedge between Sitoy and councilors

The proposal to move around 300 Badjaos from Cebu City to Tonggo Island in Cordova town has started to become a thorn in the relationship between town mayor Arleigh Sitoy and the municipal council headed by Vice Mayor Danilo Sinugbuhan.

The mayor's father, lawyer Adelino Sitoy, who has been tasked to draft the memorandum of agreement for the transfer of the Badjaos, lashed at the councilors for prematurely taking up the matter despite the fact that this has not been referred to them yet.

"Wala pa man na iduso nila nganong mikisikisi man ang konseho bahin niana, sayo ra man kaayo ang ilang pagpamolitika, dili lang unta sila mag-una-una, (The matter has not been filed in the council and yet they have been squirming in their seats already. It's still early to be politicking. They should not be pre-empting it.)" Sitoy said.

This early, Sitoy said he could tell who among the councilors are loyal to the party and those who could not be relied upon.

Sitoy said what his son and Cebu City Mayor Tomas signed was not a memorandum of agreement but a statement of support for the proposal.

Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia has also promised to sign the statement of support. According to Sitoy, the MOA representatives of national government agencies, private sector, and non-governmental organizations have promised to back the project.

Vice Mayor Danilo Sinugbuhan and members of the municipal council manifested their opposition to the move to transfer the Badjaos in Tonggo Island last week during the council's regular session, expressing fears that the presence of the Badjaos in the town could complicate the peace and order situation there. - Jose P. Sollano