Holdover capacity for barangay execs bucked

MANILA, Philippines - The move of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms allowing incumbent barangay officials to stay in office should the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls be postponed did not sit well with an official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said barangay officials should be elected and not appointed. 

“There is no law prohibiting barangay officials from staying in holdover capacity. But the Constitution refers to them as elected officials, so they must be elected,” Guanzon said.

The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) and poll lawyer Romulo Macalintal supported Guanzon’s stand on the matter.

Macalintal and Namfrel secretary general Eric Alvia want the barangay and SK elections held this year as scheduled.

On Aug. 14, the House committee approved the postponement of the barangay and SK polls from Oct. 23 this year to the second Monday of May 2018.  

The committee also allowed incumbent barangay officials to stay in holdover capacity until their replacements are elected.

When this happens, this will be the second time that the twin polls are postponed. It was first postponed in October 2016.

Guanzon expressed concern over the holding of the polls next year because of its proximity to the 2019 midterm elections. 

“I hope our legislators will consider that next year we have to prepare for the 2019 elections. The Comelec will need sufficient time to prepare for the two elections if Congress will move the barangay and SK elections to 2018,” she said. 

Alvia said re-scheduling the elections is not the answer to allegations that barangay leaders are involved in the illegal drug trade.

“Their term will be extended until May 2018. We find this odd since they claim that 40 to 50 percent of barangay captains are compromised, then why extend their term in office?” he said.

If the government wants to rid the barangays of narco-political influence, it should file appropriate charges against the concerned officials and not deprive the people of their right to vote and choose their leaders, Alvia said.