Ong hopeful village heads will not give in to pressure
Iloilo City Liga ng mga Barangay president Ma. Irene Ong said she is hopeful that her fellow village chiefs will not succumb to the pressure of voting for a candidate supported by the city’s top officials.
I hope they will vote as independent and intelligent public officials come Liga election day on December 7, Ong said in a press statement.
Ong scored her would-be opponent Roberto “Bobby” Divinagracia for claiming that he has the signatures of 142 barangays captains pledging to support his candidacy.
She said Divinagracia is using pressure and scare tactics, along with Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas, who is openly supporting Divinagracia.
“He (Divinagracia) should campaign on his own merit,” Ong said.
She added: “As for myself, I am relying on the goodwill we have established among barangay officials and the achievements of the Liga during my term. I do not need signatures but I am relying on the punong barangays who have not just given me their word of honor but are also actively campaigning for me.”
Ong, who is identified with the camp of former Presidential Legal Counsel Raul Gonzalez Sr., said the Liga election should not be a “Treñas vs. Gonzalez” proxy war.
“That is another propaganda line which is inappropriate for a simple election of Liga officers. They should respect the Liga as a neutral institution that serves the needs of all punong barangays regardless of political persuasion or affiliation.”
Ong said he hopes that like Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, Treñas will stay away from the Liga polls.*
