By SHIELA MAE BUTLIG
Correspondent

A FURIOUS mayor of Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, stormed a barangay hall in his town, yelled and badmouthed a lowly female worker on Valentine’s Day. Reason: the fifty-something widow told the family of a dead man to seek the endorsement of his political opponents so they could bury their dead at a public cemetery.

A three-minute and 49-second video that went viral on Facebook showed Mayor Gomero Sabio blowing his top as he scolded a defenseless Charito Sol inside the barangay hall of Sta. Ana in the presence of barangay officials and workers.

Sta. Ana’s barangay chairman, Elmo Ragandang, merely watched, dumbfounded, as the most powerful man in his town confronted Sol, a barangay staff member.

As of 2 pm yesterday, the viral video has been viewed 19 thousand views, 713 shares and 352 likes on the social network Facebook.

Sabio became furious because Sol advised a Sta. Ana family to go see town councilor Roger Achas and Vice Mayor Robinson Sabio so they could be allowed to bury a man at the Sta. Ana public cemetery.

Vice Mayor Sabio and Councilor Achas are members of the Padayon Pilipino headed by Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano while Mayor Sabio is with the National Unity Party led by couple former vice governor Julio Uy and his wife Juliette, representative of the province’s 2nd District. The barangay chairman is also closely associated with the Padayon Pilipino.

The video, uploaded on Facebook by one Francis Gabriel Angela, showed an angry Sabio accusing Sol of politicizing even the burial of the dead.

Sol said she merely gave a family member of the dead man a piece of advice because she thought that seeking an endorsement was a requirement.

Mayor Sabio pointed out that the public cemetery is owned by the municipal government and not by Barangay Sta. Ana and therefore, the approval should come from him.

In the video, Sabio is heard telling Sol: “Bull***t na! Bisag sa pagpalubong gipamolotika mo?... Nganong di man mo mangayo sa ako nga ako may mayor?”

He added: “Ayaw pamolitika kay di ka politiko.”

Sol subsequently went to the Tagoloan police station to put on record what Mayor Sabio did to her.