Baculi took over the post after Guadalupe barangay captain and ex-officio city councilor Eugenio Faelnar was ordered suspended by the Sandiganbayan for refusing to reimburse a former Association of Barangay Council engineer of her fuel expenses incurred under their service in 2002.
During its regular barangay session, six councilmen, with the exception of Erlinda Sayson, joined forces against acting barangay captain.
Councilman Dino Martin Faelnar, chairman of the committee on public works, and the son of Eugenio, questioned Baculi why their dilapidated garbage compactor truck was sold to a private person without bidding.
The barangay has seven garbage compactor trucks, four of these are dilapidated while the rest are being used for garbage collection. The money used to buy the garbage compactor trucks was taken from the barangay funds.
The younger Faelnar yesterday passed a resolution asking the Commission on Audit and the ABC, now headed by acting president Rodolfo Estella, to inspect and investigate Baculi.
Before Eugenio was suspended sometime in March, the barangay passed a resolution authorizing him to dispose of the dilapidated garbage truck with proper clearance.
But what surprised the council, according to Dino, was that Baculi did not inform them that the dilapidated truck was already sold for P40,000.
They only learned that the garbage truck was already sold when the buyer went to the barangay hall recently to get their equipment.
Dino said that what they are asking from Baculi is to be transparent in the barangay's transactions considering that he is just acting barangay captain.
In a separate interview Baculi denied the accusations and said he is willing to face an investigation.
Baculi said there were three bidders of their dilapidated garbage truck, but admitted that there was no actual bidding as the bidders were only asked to submit their proposals.
Baculi accused the council of playing politics in his assumption as acting barangay captain as Dino allegedly wants their relative, barangay councilman Alex Semilla, to assume the position. - Garry B. Lao