Rumored removal of basketball boards stir Mabolo youth

CEBU, Philippines - Another chapter in the basketball boards saga materialized yesterday when members of the youth sector of sitio Lahig-lahing in barangay Mabolo trooped to the barangay’s basketball court after receiving information that the city would remove the boards donated by barangay Lahug.

The removal did not push through, however, but Acting Mayor Michael Rama said that if the basketball boards are placed in a city-owned property, the city has the right to tear down the board and to replace it with city-owned basketball boards.

Speaking for his fellow youth, Dindo Macasero said they are against the removal of the boards and if the city government would want to accomplish something, it might as well give attention to the drainage problem in the barangay.

“Mas malipay pa ang mga batan-on kon ang drainage problem na lang ang ilang atimanon ug dili na lang hilabtan ang basketball boards, kay gusto man g’yod kaha sila nga motabang,” Macasero said.

He said they were forced to request for the basketball boards from Lahug barangay captain Mary Ann delos Santos after the Mabolo barangay officials allegedly gave them a run around when they requested that the dilapidated basketball boards be replaced.

Macasero also said some allies of the Bando Osmeña- Pundok Kauswagan even tried to prevent them from installing the boards donated by Delos Santos.

Delos Santos, a member of the opposition party Kugi Uswag Sugbu, is a staunch critic of Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

An ally of Delos Santos who refused to be named alleged that the city might not deal with the drainage problem, saying, “Unya kay wala man sila’y komisyon kon ang drainage ang trabahoon. Sa board kay dako man sila ug makwarta kay ta’g P11,000 man ang usa.”

Rama assured to also attend to the reported drainage problem in the barangay.

Last Tuesday, Delos Santos and opposition leader Jonathan Guardo asked the Office of the Ombudsman to look into the alleged overpriced procurement of basketball boards and lighted signboards in the city’s North District.

A few weeks ago, tension also erupted in one of the sitios in Lahug when the city tried to install a city-owned basketball board there. — Rene U. Borromeo/JMO   (FREEMAN NEWS)