Buendia gets new job while under suspension

CEBU, Philippines - Suspended Labangon, Cebu City barangay captain Victor Buendia will not be idle during his six-month suspension from service.

Yesterday, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he will assign Buendia to lead the information drive on the distribution of fire extinguishers to the city's barangays as a disaster preparedness measure.

"I need someone to supervise the holding of pulong-pulong so I think Buendia, being a barangay official, I think he can do the job," Osmeña told reporters.

The mayor said the city will be bid out the acquisition of at least 3,000 fire extinguishers to be distributed down to the sitio level.

Osmeña assured Buendia will not get any pay from City Hall since he will be serving as a volunteer.

Buendia and Barangay councilman Ronald Dagatan, chief  tanod Celerina De Los Reyes, market administrator Lolita Lumibaw, and other unnamed barangay officials are suspended for six months for demolishing the stall of a vendor allegedly with force.

Buendia, in a separate interview, welcomed the assignment.

"For the good of the City of Cebu, of course, I will accept that assignment. Naa koy idea pud anang distribution of fire extinguishers because I'm practicing that in my barangay. At least, makatabang ko sa akong na experience pud," he said.

Osmeña said the city government will tap different chapel organizations which, in turn, will appoint fire volunteers that will maintain and monitor the fire extinguishers.

He said there will be a team that will demonstrate the use of fire extinguishers properly and another team that will visit barangays to discuss other concerns like faulty electrical wiring.

"Kadaghanan sa causes of fire is faulty  electrical (wiring)… labi pa sa barangay, daghan kaayong octopus connection ana so the community should know kun kinsay gagunit sa fire extinguisher. No need for a fire truck na dayon kun gamay pa ang fire," he said. (FREEMAN)