ILOILO City – The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) are urging registered voters in Western Visayas to exercise their right to suffrage and vote wisely in today’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).
They particularly emphasized to the public to vote for candidates with concrete programs and platforms for the good of the community.
According to DILG Region 6 director Juan Jovian E. Ingeniero, barangay officials are essential partners of the DILG in ensuring community progress, leading to his appeal for voting for deserving candidates.
“Sana naman po maiboto natin ang karapat-dapat na mailuklok sa posisyon,” Ingeniero said in a Panay News interview.
Although the DILG acknowledges the basic qualifications for candidates, such as being able to read and write, Ingeniero personally hopes for higher standards for public office holders.
Responsibilities of barangay officials, particularly the barangay captain, are “technical” such as in planning, decision-making, and financial management, among others.
“Alam naman natin ang barangay captain ay leader. Kung makahanap sila ng magaling okay lang pero mas maganda rin po if ‘yong leader ay mayroon ding nararapat na qualifications para po makapag-plano ng tama, maka-budget ng tama at makapag-decision ng tama,” Ingeniero added.
On the agency’s part, Ingeniero said the DILG is ready to extend technical assistance to guide the elected officials in their duties and responsibilities by conducting training and seminars to ensure that they can provide the right service to the community.
“Makisama tayo at makilahok dito para naman po maging matagumpay at makapili tayo ng tamang punong barangay and mga barangay kagawad,” he added.
Candidates in the region, meanwhile, were reminded to obey the rules and regulations of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), including the prohibited vote-buying and vote-selling which are election offenses under the Omnibus Election Code.
“Maging honest lang po tayo sa election; sana maging mapayapa at maging matagumpay ang election na ito,” Ingeniero added.
In line with this, the DILG-Iloilo released in its official Facebook Page a brochure on “Gabay sa Pagboto ng Tamang Kandidato”. Under this guide, a candidate should be ‘MATINO, MAHUSAY at MAASAHAN’:
A candidate is MATINO if he is/has:
* M-ataas ang pagpahahalaga sa panangutan (accountable)
* A-garang umaaksyon sa tawag ng pangangailangan (responsive)
* T-apat sa serbisyo at bukas sa publiko (transparent)
* I-niuugnay ang bawa’t isa at hinihimok na makilahok (participatory)
* N-nagpapamalas ng mga pamamaraang katangi-tangi (innovative)
* O-key sya sa pakikigpagtambalan sa mga CSOs/NGOs (partnership)
A candidate is MAHUSAY if he is:
* M-odelo sa Kalinisan at sa Pangangalaga ng Kalikasan
* A-lerto sa oras ng Peligro
* H-anep sa Hanap-buhay
* U-na sa Serbisyong Panlipunan
* S-ubok sa kapayapaan at Kaayusan
* A-ngat sa Larangan ng Palakasan (Sport)
* Y-umayabong ang mga programa sa Sining at Kultura
A candidate is MAASAHAN if he has/is:
* M-ay maayos na plano at programang tumutgon sa panahon ng kalamidad
* A-garang nagbibigay ng tamang serbisyo sa mga nangangalilangan
* A-listo sa panahon ng krisis
* A-ksyon agad sa mga ipinapagawa ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno
* S-iguradong may programa para sa mga taga-barangay
* A-yos ang mga kagamitan ng barangay
* H-inahon ang pinapairal
* A-ng pera ng barangay ay para sa mamamayan
* N-agpapakita ng tapang kung kinakailangan at sa tamang paraan
Voters are advised to:
* carefully scrutinize the candidates
* not be swayed by promises
* treat your vote as sacred
* not be dazzled by money or gifts
* not be intimidated
* fight against corruption
* keep the election non-partisan
* respect the public’s opinion
* We should also consider the negative traits of the candidates could potentially hinder the progress of our country.
Atty. Mon Espina, chief of staff of the OPAV, said the BSKE is a venue for the public to support the government and their respective communities through exercising their right to vote.
“To all voters po ng Region 6 please do vote, we have to exercise our right to suffrage and this is the time po para mapakita natin and maibigay ang suporta sa ating kumonidad. Vote wisely,” Espina told Panay News.
He added that voters would have been able to listen to the platforms and know the background of the candidates during the campaign period, which would help in choosing who deserved the public office.
Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Jaro advised voters to choose candidates who have moral integrity and who would keep their promises made during the campaign period.
“Pilion naton ang lideres nga makabulig gid kag makasabat sang kinahanglanon sang mga pumoluyo naton ilabi na ang kinahanglanon sang kubos,” Reverend Father Angelo Colada, director of Archdiocese of Jaro’s Social Communication Office, told Panay News yesterday afternoon.
Colada also said that voters should choose candidates who are religious, can serve as an example in teaching moral values to people, and have platforms for the betterment of the community.
The archdiocese further appealed to the public to pray for peaceful and orderly elections.
“Pangamuyuan naton ang aton nga election nga mangin malinong kag matawhay ini kag maglikaw kita sa mga magamo nga insidente,” Colada said.
Voting hours begin at 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Under Comelec rules, “if at three o’clock in the afternoon, there are still voters within 30 meters in from of the polling place, who have not yet cast their votes, voting shall continue but only to allow said voters to cast tier voters without interruption. The poll clerk shall, without delay, list the names of said voters and consecutively number them. The voters listed shall be called to vote by the poll clerk by announcing each name three times in the order in which they are listed. Any voter in the list who not present when called shall not be permitted to vote at any alter time.”
As of June 2023, 5,179,738 were registered to vote in the barangay election and 1,764,423 in the SK election, based on the results of the hearing conducted by the Election Registration Boards./PN
