By Nora Soriño
ILIGAN City ― I am talking of a barangay chair in a particular barangay in Cagayan de Oro ― a remote barangay ― Tignapoloan.
Another is chair too of this city, at Rogongon which is also a remote barangay.
Nancy Aban is the chair of the said barangay in Cagayan de Oro. Randy Pogoy is the chair of this barangay at Rogongon. They have stories to tell.
Nancy says some people of her barangay have registered in Iligan as a “requirement” for loans from the Department of Agriculture. This, we understand is “facilitated” by government personnel from this city.
Naturally, she is concerned. But these people from her barangay assure her that they are going to cast their votes in Cagayan de Oro, she says. Even if they are registered too in Iligan.
It seems that Nancy really knows what she’s talking about. For she says she had been living there “for 35 years.”
Pogoy though says these people “are really from Rogongon.” But because the roads coming to the city proper had been bad, they preferred to have themselves registered in the Comelec in Cagayan de Oro.
But now, he says the roads going to this city proper are good. So they can now easily go to this city. He has issued a certification to the effect regarding their being residents there at his barangay.
Even as chair Nancy too has issued similar certifications. That they are residents of her barangay at Tignapoloan.
What now. Two certifications?
A tug of war, virtually!
This city is offering “agricultural loans” to these people, mostly indigenous. Hence, their willingness to register too in the Commission on Elections in this city was learned.
Wait. Would this not amount to voters growing wings? So that they can fly to this city and then to Cagayan de Oro come next year’s elections?
A political group here has seen this as a movement, ah, well, “in aid of election.”
More so because councilor Ian Uy who was among the people who facilitated the move is running for vice mayor here. But Uy has a different story through all these.
That it’s not the whole of Tignapoloan that this city is claiming. It is only some sitios there that Cagayan de Oro “has encroached.”
Nancy though says that things should be done “in a proper manner.” Granting without admitting that this is really the case, ma’am? Well, that’s good thinking.
And residents too in this city, well, some of them are asking “why only now?” And some of them are suspecting too that there will be “hakot” operations during election time. The term, to note, means just that. Which is to provide “service deluxe” to ensure that these people “rightfully” and “properly” do the voting here in this city.
Uy though debunks this. Saying to the effect that this kind of operation isn’t practical, even almost impossible. Considering the cost, the efforts, the distance! This is just plain good service to these people.
Wow. The plot is thickening fast. As in “Abangan!”
(Email: norasorino2@gmail.com)
