IN HIS fourth State of the Nation Address, President Duterte called for the postponement of the barangay election supposedly to be held in May next year and move it to October 2022.
His reason: “To rectify the truncated terms” and “provide them with the ample time to finish their programs and projects.”
In 2016, barangay barangay polls were also postponed by a year. The President then explained that 40 percent of barangay captains were involved in illegal drugs.
How important is the barangay election?
Barangays are not just the basic units of government; they are also the basic people’s organizations that maintain peace and order and implement community projects in accordance with the needs and wishes of the members of the community.
As leaders and representatives of the community at the grassroots, barangay officials have the duty and obligation as well as the authority to safeguard the electoral exercise at the barangay level to ensure free, orderly and honest elections so that the will of the community is truly reflected in the election returns.
Barangay officials should consider themselves not just as agents of the national and local governments, but as representatives of the people of their barangays, so that it becomes their duty to see to it that the desires of their constituents as expressed through the ballot box are protected, accurately reported and fully implemented.
The further strengthening of the powers of local governments, including provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays is also being suggested so they can harness people power in the great effort to promote local and national progress and the public welfare.
The strengthening of the autonomous powers of local governments, from the provincial, city, and municipal to the barangay level, is needed so that the citizenry can fully participate in the governance of their respective localities.
