Vice mayor, barangay officials trade verbal blows in Isabela meeting

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A meeting among local officials in Reina Mercedes, Isabela, erupted into a shouting match over allegations of corruption involving funds intended for tobacco farmers.

In a report by Mav Gonzales on “24 Oras” on Tuesday, tension ran high after Vice Mayor Harold Respicio confronted barangay officials over uncompleted projects intended for tobacco farmers.

Video footage from the meeting showed a tense standoff between Respicio and several barangay officials after the vice mayor accused them of allegedly stealing funds from the tobacco excise tax, prompting one official to accuse him of being rude.

“Anong bastos? Ang mga bastos mga magnanakaw. Magnanakaw. Mga magnanakaw!” Respicio shouted.

(What do you mean by rude? Thieves are the rude ones. Thieves! Thieves!)

Respicio initially questioned the construction of a barangay health station in Banquero, which cost around P5 million.

When he asked about the project, the Banquero barangay captain told him it had not yet been completed.

The vice mayor then demanded proof of the project's progress. Some barangay captains objected to Respicio's tone, with one of them telling him not to yell.

Respicio, however, justified his tone.

“Dito lang tayo nakapag-prangkahan. Ito lang ang civilized forum. Ang salita puwede. Pero ang pangha-harass ninyo sa tobacco farmers na hindi pumunta dito, 'yun ang hindi puwede,” he said.

(We can be frank here. This is the civilized forum. Words are allowed. But harassing tobacco farmers so they would not come here is not allowed.)

According to Respicio, some barangay officials had blocked tobacco farmers from attending a previous session and threatened not to give them money.

What followed was a tense shouting match between Respicio and the barangay officials, prompting other town council officials, personnel and local police officers to intervene.

The meeting was suspended to allow the parties to cool down, with some police officers forming a barrier between the two sides.

Despite this, the exchange continued, with barangay captains denying the allegations while Respicio maintained that there were thieves among them.

One barangay captain also accused Respicio of spending most of his time in Manila and supposedly receiving a paycheck without actually working. The vice mayor challenged him to read up on his duties.

Several minutes later, the discussion calmed down. Respicio explained that there was also sometimes shouting in Parliament, saying this was a result of passion. He then apologized to the barangay officials.

Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla reprimanded Respicio for his behavior.

“His behavior was inexcusable. We will look into what we can do to rectify his attitude. This is what kids see and absorb as normal. This is a sad day for local government,” Remulla said.

GMA News is trying to reach Respicio and the barangay officials for comment.— Jean Mangaluz/MCG, GMA News

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