Mayor is welcome in barangays – Liga head

SOURCE: The Daily Guardian

LIGA ng mga Barangay president Irene Ong: You’re welcome. ILOILO City Mayor Jose Espinosa III: We’ll see.

NEWLY elected Liga ng mga Barangay – Iloilo City president Irene Ong assured Mayor Jose Espinosa III that he can easily access barangays for his projects.

Ong said he has talked to his fellow kapitans and they denied that they are preventing the mayor from entering their jurisdictions without their clearance.

Espinosa earlier said some village chiefs “act more powerful than the mayor.”

Ong said that as mayor, Espinosa has the privilege to go to barangays.

“Ang hambal sang mga kapitan wala man sila gapugong. Siya being a mayor of the city, welcome siya magsulod sa barangay,” he said.

Ong, who is identified with lone district Rep. Jerry Treñas, said he maintains open communication with the mayor.

Treñas earlier claimed that majority of the village chiefs support his bid to retake the mayor’s office in 2019.

Ong assumed as an ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Aug 7, 2018.

On his first day, Ong said he prioritized the improvement off his office.

Espinosa said the assurance of his easy access to barangays “remains to be seen.”

But he said he expects the village chiefs to reciprocate the courtesy he extends to them whenever they go to his office.

“If I give honor to their presence in my office, they should also do the same… Waay ako ya gahatag wall biskan kay sin-o. Sila ya gahatag wall ti what can I do?” he said.

The mayor said he also maintains an amicable relationship with Ong.

“Ako siling ko kun ano da inyo basta legal I will work with you,” he said.

Espinosa stressed that the projects he is giving to barangays are not for the officials but for the people.

Meanwhile, Espinosa said he has relaxed the passage of a barangay anti-drug abuse council (BADAC) report as a requirement in the signing of the kapitan’s fidelity bond.

“Although it should have been a requirement pero galing damo man gaayu ti kinahanglan kun mayor ka tulutun-awon mo man mo. Ti siling ko gin-relax ko na lang kay ang iban mabudlayan kun bag-o lang. I listen to reason,” he said.