Solons alarmed by Duterte plan to appoint village execs

By: Marc Jayson Cayabyab - 8 years ago

President Rodrigo Duterte. CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON

Opposition lawmakers on Friday rejected President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 plan to declare all barangay (village) seats vacant and appoint these officials in his bid to weed out drugs from the most basic local government unit.

In separate statements, Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin said this move reeks of 鈥渄ictatorial tendencies,鈥� while Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said this violated the public鈥檚 right to elect their leaders.

It was Duterte鈥檚 Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno who said the President wanted to suspend this year鈥檚 barangay elections indefinitely and appoint the officials instead.

搁贰础顿:听Duterte wants village execs appointed

Villarin warned that the Marcos dictatorship used the barangays as its machinery to monitor and control the people.

鈥淚magine the possibilities of appointing at least eight officials in each of the 43,000 barangays all over the country. That鈥檚 344,000 people at the beck and call of the President!鈥� Villarin said.

The lawmaker said if there are barangay officials involved in the drug trade, 鈥渓et the people kick them out through the ballot.鈥�

鈥淕ive that power to the people, not to one person. That鈥檚 the essence of democracy,鈥� Villarin said.

Alejano for his part said Duterte鈥檚 plan to appoint barangay officials 鈥渦ndermines the rights of the people to choose their leaders.鈥�

He said the President should instead file criminal and administrative charges to strip these officials of their posts.

Alejano said Duterte鈥檚 alleged list of 鈥渘arcopoliticians鈥� remains a mere list and should not be used to justify Duterte鈥檚 move to control the government unit.

鈥淗e better stop using it to justify short circuiting the system and justify his desire to control politics in the grassroots,鈥� Alejano said.

Duterte renewed his call to appoint the barangay officials following his signing into law the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to 2017.

搁贰础顿:听Duterte inks law postponing barangay, SK polls

He said he would want to suspend this year鈥檚 polls and appoint barangay officials instead over fears that drug lords would bankroll candidates in the next barangay elections.
In a radio interview, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said he found it a 鈥渧alid鈥� motive for the President to appoint barangay officials.

Alvarez, a staunch ally of the President, said there would be no constitutional infirmities in the move as long as Congress would amend the Local Government Code.

鈥淲ala akong problema diyan at suportado ko ang ating Pangulo diyan dahil napaka-valid po noong reason, dahil tama 鈥榶un, majority of the barangay officials are involved in illegal drugs, nagagamit ito,鈥� Alvarez said.

(I have no problem with that at all. I support the President on that because that is a very valid reason. It鈥檚 true that majority of the barangay officials are involved in illegal drugs. They are being used for this.) IDL/rga

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