Quarrel of village officials stops stage drama

THE actors were ready, the stage all set and the audience packed the village’s covered court.

And then a defiant barangay captain of Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City with the police in tow took to the stage, and the show did not go on.

Conflict between barangay Punta Engaño captain Lourdes Ibag and barangay kagawad Josie Hayashi may have prevented the staging of a show produced by the Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN) last Wednesday evening.

And Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza voiced alarm that the conflict between the two barangay officials may have deprived their constituents of needed services.

Supposedly the stage play was lined up as one of the activities leading to the fiesta last week, but the refusal of Ibag to give it a permit prevented its staging last June 27.

Ibag said Hayashi did not inform her of their activities. “They were abusing my authority, they never respected me.”

Hayashi for her part said she should not be blamed. The organizer was another village kagawad named Ritchell Sumalinog. Her only participation was that she is one of the cast members of the CCTN stage play.

Ibag also said that Hayashi’s group even organized a beauty pageant but the contestants were from Talisay City.

To this, Hayashi said she was just asked to be one of the judges and it is Sumalinog’s committee who organized it.

Ibag called the police for assistance in stopping the show last Wednesday since it did not have a barangay permit.

Hayashi wondered why Ibag didn’t advise the committee to get a permit for the show and for hanging banners in order to promote the show.

Hayashi described during last Wednesday’s scene as chaotic.

Police Chief Insp. Conrado Manatad, chief of Lapu-Lapu police precinct 2 tried to persuade Ibag to reconsider her decision.

But Ibag did not budge.

Radaza said she will arrange a meeting with the two village officials to try and settle the conflict between them.