THE House of Representatives has adopted a Senate-approved measure empowering 42,000 barangay chieftains to administer the oath of office to any government official, including the president of the Republic of the Philippines.
The Lower House unanimously voted to adopt the Senate Bill 2693, principally authored by Senators Bongbong Marcos, Francis Escudero and Miriam Defensor-Santiago. The measure will then be transmitted to the Palace for President Benigno Aquino III’s signature.
Under the bill the following officers have generally authority to administer oaths; vice-president; members and secretaries of both Houses of Congress; members of Judiciary; secretaries of departments; provincial governors and lieutenant governors; city mayors; municipal mayors; bureau directors; regional directors; clerks of courts; registrars of deeds, other civilian officers in the public of the government of the Philippines whose appointments are vested in the president and are subject to confirmation by the Commission on Appointments; all other constitutional officers and notaries public.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. said the bill will give elected officials an appropriate choice on who among the public officials would administer one’s oath of office.
“This is in recognition of the very important role of the barangay chairmen in the political structure of government,” Belmonte said.
The measure seeks to amend Section 41 of the Administrative Code of 1987, as amended, by clearly providing that barangay chairmen will now be clothe with the authority to administer the oath of office of public officials.
“While this measure will break the long standing tradition where the president takes his oath before the chief justice, it will also give due recognition to the untiring support extended by the punong barangays to the president,” Belmonte pointed out.
The House had earlier approved a counterpart measure authored by Camarines Sur Rep. Salvio Fortuno.