Limit electoral recall powers to registered voters — Revilla

Sen. Ramon Revilla has filed a bill seeking to empower only registered voters to initiate the recall of locally elected officials.

Revilla filed Senate Bill 2340 after noting the big number of mayors being subjected to the recall process under the initiative of barangay officials, who constitute the Preparatory Recall Assembly (PRA).

"The provision empowering barangay officials to initiate the recall process is the most abused one in the Local Government Code," he said, as he pressed for the repeal of the provision on the PRA.

He added that the "abuse" of this provision was often under the direction of some politicians defeated in the last election out to regain their political power and pride.

A PRA on the provincial level is composed of all mayors, vice mayors and sanggunian (council) members of the municipalities and component cities. It may initiate the recall of any elected provincial official. A PRA on the city, and municipal levels are composed of all barangay chairmen and Sangguniang Barangay members in the city who may initiate the recall of any elected municipal or city official.

The PRA on the legislative district level is composed of all elective municipal officials in the district. It is empowered to initiate the recall of Sangguniang Panlalawigan or city council members elected by district.

The Local Government Code also has a provision for the recall of any elected official upon petition of at least 25 percent of the total number of registered voters in the local government unit concerned. This provision, however, is more expensive and time-consuming so it is seldom availed of by persons or groups opposed to a local official.

Revilla agreed with Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., author and sponsor of the Local Government Code, that barangay officials have no business in recalling duly elected officials because it was not they but the community of voters who elected the local chief executives.

Under the bill, recall of local officials may be initiated only by a petition of 25 percent of the registered voters of the locality. However, in provinces or cities with more than one congressional district, at least 10 percent of the petitioners shall come from each congressional district.

The bill also expands the coverage of the recall process to include any elective Sangguniang Kabataan official. – Efren Danao