TAGBILARAN CITY -– President Rodrigo “Digong” Roa Duterte (PRRD) may still have to appoint barangay officials following the close of the barangay officials’ term today following the postponement of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to Oct. 23, 2017.
If Atty. Salvador Diputado’s insinuation in his radio program on Sunday is to be believed, then replacements by appointment of barangay chairmen or kagawads may be likely. This came after he met the President recently.
Atty. Diputado, editor-in-chief of weekly paper and achorman of DYTR, was with former Governor Atty. Victor dela Serna, his father-in-law Vice-Gov. Atty. Dionisio Balite and company who were invited by President Duterte in Malacanang on Oct. 24, 2016. Atty. Dela serna was the former law teacher of Duterte while he’s studying law at San Beda College in Manila.
Diputado said Duterte replied to his queries on whether or not appointing of barangay officials was the next step of Malacanang.
Duterte hinted that if no barangay officials appointed , then how would he dismantle the structure of illegal drugs proliferating in the barangays, like Bohol with 96.6 percent of the barangays are drug-affected.
But the President did not give details, Diputado said.
The President’s statement ran counter to the Rep. Rene Relampagos’s statement of assurance that barangay officials are assured of “holdover capacity.” Relampagos told Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting in Maribojoc town last week of this.
“Rep. Rene Relampagos (LP 1st district, Bohol) has asserted that all incumbent barangay officials do remain because the law postponing their election allows them to stay in holdover capacity until the next polls a year from now,” according a weekly paper.
Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno issued an Advisory dated October 7, 2016 addressed to all local chief executives, local government units and DILG officials, “warning about scam, soliciting nominees for officer-in-charge for barangay posts.”
“We do not sanction nor endorse any and all forms of solicitation from appointees,” Sueno said.
Sueno advised officials concerned not to entertain or fall prey to these scammers. Instead ignore messages in texts which “may ask you to give money, favors or any other matters in exchange for appointment to government posts.”
DILG asked the officials concerned to report the poseurs and con men/women to Supt. Alex Sintin or to any local DILG office, or call these numbers: 0949-846-4858 or 0998-967-4884 or landline 722-8116 trunkline — 723-0401 local 3421 or 3381.
President Duterte has signed the law postponing the supposed October 2016 baranggay and SK elections, report said. Malacanang said that it was Duterte’s first approved legislative measure.
But Malacanang and DILG are still mum on how to deal with barangay officials whose terms of office end this month.
Reports said that Congress (House and Senate) passed Senate Bill 1112 and House Bill 3504 last month to suspend the scheduled October 31 elections and instead moved it to the fourth Monday of October 2017.
The postponement was mainly due to the influence of narcotics abuse and illegal trade in the country. PNA-northboundasia.com