Cuenco wants Buendia removed as village chief

 CEBU, Philippines - Former Congressman Antonio Cuenco will be asking the court to remove Labangon Barangay Captain Victor Buendia as he is not residing in the barangay that he is serving.

Cuenco said he will file a petition for a Writ of Quo Warranto before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) soon.

The former lawmaker said Buendia should not be holding the position of barangay captain of Labangon because he is a resident of Barangay Guadalupe.

Cuenco has proof that portion of Rosalina Village where Buendia lives is not part of Labangon.

That is why he cannot be elected as barangay captain.

Buendia earned the ire of Cuenco because the barangay chief is actively campaigning against the creation of Barangay Banawa-Englis.

Cuenco is the  main proponent of Republic Act 9905 that allows the creation of Sitios Banawa-Englis as a separate barangay from Guadalupe which will be subjected to a plebiscite today.

Buendia claims that 13 sitios in his barangays will be affected in the creation of the new barangay and what he has been doing is just to protect the territorial jurisdiction of Labangon .

 “Kana si Cuenco, tiguwang na man g’yud na siya, dili na unta siya mamakak og tug-anan niya ang mga tawo nga maibanan gayud ang Labangon og masakop na sa Banawa-Englis kon madayon kini paghimo nga barangay,” Buendia said.  (Cuenco should not lie because he is already old.  He should tell the people that a portion of Labangon will be affected in the creation of Banawa-Englis.)

When asked about the move of Cuenco to file a petition for a quo warranto against him, Buendia said “gilawgaw man niya ang isyu.”  (He is muddling the issue.)

In a quo warranto proceeding, the defendant is required to present proof that he is entitled to hold the office he claims, or to exercise the authority he presumes to have from the government.

But a quo warranto is not a right available merely because the appropriate legal documents are filed.

Valid reasons must be indicated to justify governmental interference with the individual holding the challenged office. — /MBG (FREEMAN)