Archival refutes Niñal's assertion of alleged 'preference'
Cebu City Mayor Denies Favoring Party Candidates in Upcoming Elections
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has denied claims by San Nicolas Proper Barangay Captain Clifford Niñal that he favors candidates allied with his party during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) scheduled for November 2026.
In a recent interview, Niñal accused the Mayor of biasing City resources towards allied candidates. However, Archival explicitly refuted these allegations, stating that he does not favor any official based on political ties.
The political climate in Cebu City is sensitive, especially with local rivalries between groups like Bando Osmeña–Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), which Archival leads. Despite this, Archival's public position is that he does not bias City resources towards allied candidates during the BSKE.
No source among the search results provides details or proof that Archival favored candidates allied with his party as claimed by Niñal.
Meanwhile, Niñal sought assistance from the City Government for a drainage issue in San Nicolas Proper. A letter dated July 14 was sent to Mayor Archival's Office regarding the matter. However, Archival expressed ignorance about any delayed requests from Niñal regarding assistance.
In addition, a concerned citizen wrote to the Department of the Interior and Local Government on July 24 about uncovered manholes in the community, which posed safety risks and had already caused accidents. The manholes were temporarily covered while awaiting a response from City Hall.
San Nicolas Proper also lacks personnel to operate its two garbage trucks, as the barangay can only afford to hire one driver despite growing demand for garbage collection.
Amidst these issues, the Archival administration is seeking suitable replacements to fill key positions in important departments such as the City Treasurer's Office and the City Accounting Office due to the dismissal of City Hall officials. The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of nine City Hall officials for a P239-million garbage anomaly in 2021.
In an interview, Niñal claimed the City had been coordinating with barangay mayor's offices (BMOs) instead of incumbent barangay officials. Archival, however, stated that he does not have to call a meeting with Niñal due to his busy schedule, and that he has a lot of things to attend to, especially the suspended officials. Archival claimed to have accommodated at least one request from Niñal.
The Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) are expected to be held in November 2026, and political dynamics in Cebu City are sensitive, especially with local rivalries between groups like BOPK. Despite this, Mayor Archival maintains his stance on not favoring candidates based on political ties.
- Despite Niñal's accusation that Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival favors party candidates during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), no evidence has been provided to support this claim.
- Amidst issues such as drainage problems in San Nicolas Proper and the lack of personnel to operate garbage trucks, Mayor Archival is focused on replacing City Hall officials who were dismissed due to a P239-million garbage anomaly in 2021.
- In the lead-up to the BSKE scheduled for November 2026, Mayor Archival maintains his stance, reiterating that he does not favor candidates based on political ties, despite the sensitive political climate in Cebu City and local rivalries between groups like BOPK.
