BACOLOD City – One-hundred forty-five village officials and 17 Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials took oath at the Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose Activity Center on Thursday.
Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod party-list) organized the event and chose Barangay 33 outgoing village chief Karren Pineda to lead 15 punong barangays, 130 barangay kagawads, six SK chairpersons, and 11 SK kagawads in taking their oaths.
Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. was supposed to lead the oath-taking but he failed to appear in the event.
Among those who took their oaths were the four village chiefs who earlier said that Mayor Evelio Leonardia is against them.
They were Alfredo Talimodao Jr. of Barangay Granada, Jerry Tingson of Barangay Estefania, Angelito Abaring of Barangay Bata, and Nelson Ligaya of Barangay 16.
Meanwhile, Leonardia said a mass oath-taking ceremony of newly elected barangay officials will be held at the SMX Convention Center in the city at 2 p.m. on June 16.
Leonardia added that Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Francis Tolentino will lead the oath-taking.
Rep. Greg Gasataya, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran and Department of Interior and Local Government city director Ma. Joy Maredith Madayag will also attend, the mayor said.
Leonardia stressed that oath-takings must be “solemn” because they are “very significant occasions in local governance.”
“That is why we are very pleased that no less than Malacañang’s Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Francis Tolentino has accepted our invitation to be the inducting officer,” he added./PN
