Interior officer-in-charge Eduardo Año on Thursday confirmed the reports of mayors whittling down barangay candidates to a single slate.
He said they were gathering evidence to file administrative cases against those officials.
“We have received reports about that, and we have asked the mayors to explain while we gather more evidence,” Año said.
In other developments:
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino on Thursday said a village official on the agency’s “narco list” would soon be facing administrative and criminal charges.
He told reporters his agency would file six cases against a village official from Metro Manila on May 11.
He also said his agency was revalidating its list of suspects to determine the involvement of the 207 village officials who were said to be involved in illegal drugs.
“Many are saying that they are not involved, they’re not users or pushers, but again, when they ask a favor to exempt a relative caught, that’s coddling.”
The Education department and other government agencies on Friday announced their readiness for an orderly and peaceful conduct of the 2018 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections where some Education personnel will volunteer to render poll duties.
Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del Pascua highlighted the efforts of the department to ensure the safety of the teachers during the National Day of Prayer, Declaration of the State of Readiness, and Signing of the Memoranda of Agreement held on May 7 at the Philippine National Police Multi-Purpose Hall in Camp Crame in Quezon City.
“We are ready for the coming elections,” Pascua said.
Echoing the statements of the Commission on Elections, Año said several of the 42,000 barangays had no candidates running for the position of Sangguniang Kabataan chairmen or kagawads.
Of those named in the narco list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, five percent were campaigning for reelection.
Police Chief Oscar Albayalde vouched for the narco list and assured the public that due process would be accorded to the officials on the list.