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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO – The Liga ng mga Barangay in this province wants the barangay election to push through this October.
But if Congress decides not to hold an election this year, what’s the best option? Appoint officers-in-charge in the villages or extend the term of incumbent barangay officials?
“We don’t want appointments. Gusto namon there will really be an election,” said Liga president Pablito Gemarino.
In March, President Rodrigo Duterte said he was planning to appointment new barangay officials instead of holding an election.
Drug money could influence the results of the election and winners may end up being beholden to drug traffickers, he explained.
The barangay election was originally scheduled on Oct. 21, 2016. Duterte moved it to Oct. 23, 2017.
But between an election and an extension of terms, Gemarino said, they prefer the less expensive term extension.
It’s more practical, he said.
Yesteday, Gemarino’s Liga ng mga Barangay held its annual Liga Day at the Iloilo Sports Complex. An estimated 13, 000 barangay officials from 1,721 barangays across Iloilo attended.
While the holding of or postponement of the barangay election remains uncertain, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Region 6 is preparing for it.
“We are right on time kon basehan naton ang calendar of activities. At this point in time we’re just practically waiting for the start of the election period,” said Regional Director Dennis Ausan.
In Manila, Comelec chairman Andres Bautista had been urging Congress to make up its mind early regarding the proposed postponement so as not to waste the poll body’s time and effort.
“Ang aton ginakanugonan kon mag-start ang bidding kag magbakal galamiton. The Commission will be incurring so many expenses. We are talking here of millions of pesos if not hundreds of millions of pesos kun ma-postpone man lang. Kanugon,” said Ausan.
In Comelec-6’s schedule of activities, this August and September it is set to constitute various boards of election tellers.
“Then naka-ubra na kita projection of precincts wherein makita ang number of registered voters…Dira Makita ang mga eskwelahan nga gamiton sa election,” said Ausan./PN
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