Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Monday asked local treasurers all over the country to ensure the success of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSK) elections.
“Today marks a significant moment as we step out to exercise our right to vote and choose new leaders for our barangays and the Sangguniang Kabataan. Our barangays serve as an essential building block of good governance,” Diokno said in a statement.
“On Election Day, our local treasurers will be at the forefront, diligently performing their duties to ensure the seamless execution of election-related tasks. I have full confidence that, as they have done in previous elections, our local treasurers will serve with competence, dedication, and unwavering integrity, despite the challenges they may face,” he said.
He said local treasurers, together with teachers and policemen, are among the unsung heroes during elections.
Diokno also commended the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) Central and Regional Officials, which are under the Department of Finance, for ensuring that local treasury operations and services in all provinces, cities and municipalities are unhampered during the election season.
The Office of Local Treasurers works 24 hours right before and after the elections.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) mobilizes provincial treasurers to help facilitate the distribution of ballot boxes and election paraphernalia to all component municipalities and cities, with independent cities receiving their supplies directly from the COMELEC.
After the elections, ballot boxes are delivered to municipal/city treasurers for secure safekeeping. In the event of any election protests, they may be summoned to present the ballot boxes under their custody in court.
Municipal treasurers also sit as a member of the board of canvassers.