THE Commission on Elections is studying the implications of President Rodrigo Duterte’s call to postpone barangay elections again, a spokesman for the agency said Sunday.
“What is being studied… are the ramifications of another postponement because [these] barangay elections have already been postponed once and as a result of that the barangay officials were held over,” said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez.
The poll body would have to be guided by a new law that would need to be passed to postpone the elections again, he said.
He acknowledged that the new law postponing the polls could call for the appointment of barangay officials instead of having old ones held over.
“At this point we don’t know what will happen,” he said in Filipino.
He declined to say if the Constitution allowed the appointment of barangay officials.
Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin, meanwhile, urged Duterte not to postpone the barangay elections in October and instead allow the people to kick out village executives believed to be involved in illegal drugs in the 43,000 barangays nationwide.
He said the right to suffrage of the electorate must not be taken away by the President’s plan to appoint at least 344,000 village executives.
“If barangay officials are involved in drugs, let the people kick them out through the ballot. Give that power to the people, and not to one person. That’s the essence of democracy,” said Villarin.
Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, who filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte, said the administration must file administrative and graft charges against village executives behind the proliferation of illegal drugs.
“In that way, the accused barangay chairpersons may have the chance to defend themselves, while those clean ones would be spared any accusations,” he said.
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez supports the postponement, but Alejano said it undermines the rights of the people to choose their leaders.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman opposed the appointment of officers in charge and other barangay officials.
“The choice of elective officials belongs to the electorate,” he said.
Detained Senator Leila de Lima also assailed Duterte’s proposal to declare vacant all barangay posts and to appoint them in lieu of holding elections this year.
De Lima, chairperson of the Senate electoral reforms and people’s participation committee, said that appointing village officials goes against the idea of barangays being non-partisan government units.
“As the basic political unit in the country, the barangay serves as the front-liner in delivering the basic and important services to people. It offers direct and immediate assistance and support to the community. Barangay officials play a crucial role in providing effective and accountable local governance,” she said.
“Appointing barangay officials, instead of electing them, goes against the principles of shielding them from partisan politics. That is one of the reasons why barangay elections are held separately from national and local elections,” she added. With PNA