By virtue of Republic Act No. 10923, the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, originally scheduled on Oct. 31, 2016 was postponed to Oct. 23, 2017. Hence, the incumbent barangay and SK officials were to serve an extended term of office, until their successors are duly elected and proclaimed.
President Duterte approved the postponement of elections out of fear that it might be infiltrated with drug money should it push through. I have previously expressed my support to the postponement of elections as it is an opportune time to address and resolve the issue of narco-politics on the barangay level. It was reported that 40 percent of barangay officials are still allegedly involved in illegal drugs, despite the President’s firm stand against drugs. Barangay officials have grass roots exposure, and are able to develop familial relationships with their constituents. We cannot allow these officials to exploit their positions, and violate their mandates. Barangay officials should be our first line of defense, in the community.
Those who are uncooperative in the government’s campaign against terrorism and rebellion, will also not be appointed. The Department of the Interior and Local Government shall proceed with the selection of barangay officials to be appointed once the Congress approves the law cancelling the October 2017 barangay and SK elections. Rest assured, the Minority will push for its passage in the plenary.
I support the President’s direction of appointing the barangay officials. However, I insist that the selection process for the appointees be done thoroughly. Besides being clear from involvement in illegal drugs and terrorism, the prospective appointees must also meet the requirements, as stated in Section 39 of the Local Government Code; and any candidate shall be disqualified based on the grounds stated in Section 40. Let us take advantage of this opportunity of choosing our leaders in the barangay level by selecting those who are not only equipped with the right skills and knowledge that their positions require, but possess integrity and uprightness in order to maintain peace and order in their community.
We call for a fair selection process, one that is free from biases and influence of powerful people. This is an opportune time in our history to address the problems of the basic unit of government.