Signature drive leads to battle of 2 captains

The gathering for signatures in support of the people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution morning resulted in a heated verbal tussle in Quiapo, Manila the other day when two men claimed they were the rightful chairman of one barangay.

Senior Police Officer 2 Ricardo Reyes, of the Manila Police District-Plaza Miranda substation, said there was a slight disturbance in Barangay 308, Zone 30 caused by the incumbent barangay chairman and past chairman.

Celso Ocate lost to Angelito Lopez during the last 2002 barangay elections.

However, Ocate insisted that he won the last elections and that there was a pending election protest before the Supreme Court.

Ocate said at around 8 a.m. yesterday, he learned that Lopez was holding a barangay assembly near the barangay hall for the gathering of signatures in support of a unicameral form of government.

"I questioned the legality of his calling for an assembly. How can he call for an assembly when he is not yet a full-pledged chairman. I am still the barangay chairman, it is just that Lopez has the backing of the Manila Barangay Bureau which issued him a memorandum to conduct an assembly," he said.

Ocate claimed he is still acknowledged as the chairman.

Lopez, he pointed out, normally holds office at his own house.

Ocate even accused him of even holding a raffle to attract signatories for the Charter change campaign. "Nagpa-raffle pa sya ng bigas at rice cooker. Nakakuha pa nga ako ng raffle ticket na pirmado ng isang kagawad na kaalyado kay Lopez."