Pro-split group hopes no politics in plebiscite

CEBU, Philippines - The pro-Banawa-Englis residents are hoping that the upcoming plebiscite on the proposed division of Barangay Guadalupe into two barangays will not be politicized.

Joefrey Cartilla, vice president of United Banawa-Englis Association, Inc. (UBEA), said they are worried that the scheduled plebiscite next month will again not push through because of politics.

“Manghinaot mi nga wa untay pulitika pareha sa una kay basin di pud unya madayon, para pud way maka-impluwensiya sa pagbotar sa mga taga Guadalupe (we are hoping that there will be no political intervention like what had happened before so that no one can influence the vote of the residents of Guadalupe),” Cartilla said.

UBEA is behind the move to carve out a new barangay from Guadalupe which shall be named Barangay Banawa-Englis. While Barangay Captain Michael Gacasan and majority of the members of the barangay council are against the split, Cartilla said he is glad that no one has campaigned for a “No” vote.

South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña yesterday met with Gacasan and the members of the barangay council but did not campaign either for either “No” or “Yes”.

Osmeña only urged the people of Guadalupe to go out and vote during the plebiscite. The Commission on Elections has already set the plebiscite on July 28. The campaign period will start on July 12 until the 26th.

Cartilla said they have already started their preparation for the campaign. The move to carve out a new barangay from Guadalupe started in 1995 yet by Councilor Ronald Cuenco.

An ordinance was passed by the city council but did not materialize for lack of funding to finance the needed ground survey to locate the boundary of the proposed new barangay.

More than a decade later, Ronald’s father, then South District Rep. Antonio Cuenco, sponsored a bill in congress which was approved in 2010.

A plebiscite was initially scheduled but was cancelled because of a petition for injunction filed by Labangon Barangay Captain Victor Buendia, who was then barangay councilman, questioning the boundary of the proposed new barangay.

Buendia objected to the holding of the plebiscite until the boundary issue is settled because his residence was included in the new barangay to be created. As a consequence he will lost his residency in Labangon.

The petition however was dismissed by then Regional Trial Court Branch 58 judge Gabriel Ingles. — (FREEMAN)