STOPPING narco-politicians from getting elected in the next barangay polls is far more important than the people’s right to vote, the Palace said Monday as it expressed readiness to certify as urgent any bill to postpone the village elections and declare all positions vacant.
“The people’s right to vote must be carefully weighed against the possibility that a number of barangay officials with links to the illegal drug trade may unwittingly be elected into office given the sad state of patronage in local politics,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.
Abella made these statements after Senator Francis Pangilinan, a member of the Senate minority, urged President Rodrigo Duterte to rethink his plan to once again suspend the barangay polls.
“To further postpone barangay elections and opt to instead appoint the barangay officials means to impinge on the people’s right to vote and choose their leaders,” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan also warned that Duterte’s move “encroaches dangerously into authoritarian ideologies” like those of former President Ferdinand Marcos.
Abella said postponing the barangay elections would need an amendment of the law to enable the President to appoint village officials.
“Without this new law, barangay elections will push through,” he said.
“The passage of a new law postponing the barangay elections will make all barangay positions vacant. Therefore, according to the Administrative Code of the Philippines, it is within the powers of the President to fill up declared vacant positions,” he added.
Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno said Duterte was considering proposals to end the term of all barangay officials and replace them with his appointees.
Upon his return from a four-day official visit from Myanmar and Thailand, Duterte claimed that 40 percent of all the barangay captains in the country were involved in drugs.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said any move to postpone the barangay polls will be fully supported by the Palace.
“Those in Congress, knowing what the President wants, should consider that … He may certify it as urgent,” Panelo said.
He also denied that Duterte’s move would be unconstitutional.
“It is true that they must be elected, but if you postpone the elections and there would be a gap, an expired term, then the Administrative Code allows the President to appoint officials,” he added.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said there is nothing illegal in the deferment of the barangay polls as long as Congress passes an enabling law.
He added that the reason raised by Duterte—that 40 percent of barangay captains in 42,095 barangays nationwide are either drug users or protectors—is a valid ground for postponing the elections.
In the House, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers filed a bill seeking to defer the October 2017 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections until May 2020 to stamp out the drug problem.
“The drug problem begins at the grassroots level, therefore, this is where we should start cleansing,” he said.
Barbers said incumbent barangay officials must be terminated and allow Duterte to appoint “incorruptible” officers-in-charge, which could lead to a “drug-free Philippines.”
But senators on both sides of the political fence have questioned the President’s plan, saying there should be a more compelling reason to suspend the polls again.
Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV urged the government to respect the people’s right to choose their next barangay and youth leaders
“Our barangay elections are a way for us to exercise our democracy. It is important that the elected officials should come from the people, especially at the smallest unit of governance, so that our officials are accountable to their constituents and serve the people,” Aquino said.
He added that appointing barangay officials would only strengthen the patronage system in local politics.
Senator Panfilo Lacson said he too was not inclined to support yet another postponement of barangay elections.
“I believe it’s time we should allow the 42,036 barangays to elect their new village leaders or give those who deserve their vote of confidence to continue serving them,” he said.
Senator Joel Villanueva said the last time they deliberated on the proposed suspension, it was clear to them that the polls would push through this year.
“So we need to have a more compelling reason why we should even consider suspending it again, much more the proposed appointment [of barangay officials, instead of electing them],” Villanueva said.
Senator JV Ejercito took to Twitter to express his apprehensions on the proposed deferment of the barangay polls.
“I have apprehensions on postponing barangay elections as to the legal basis. We just need to clarify justification [of] the said postponement,” said Ejercito.
“Being a former mayor myself, I understand where President Duterte’s proposal to postpone barangay elections [is coming from],” said Ejercito, who was San Juan mayor.
Lacson, Villanueva and Ejercito are all members of the Senate majority bloc.
Senate President Aqulino Pimentel III earlier said that postponing the barangay elections requires a law, especially if the President is proposing that elected barangay officials be replaced with appointees.
“If we will have to postpone, then this will now be the second year extension of the incumbent barangay official. I think it’s better to deem their term as expired. The law abhors a vacuum,” Pimentel said.
He said the appointive power is by default placed in the President.
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting said the postponement of the barangay elections needs to be studied carefully, and there must be a valid reason to suspend the polls.
The church-back poll watchdog added that there is no substitute to periodic elections in a democracy to check the accountability of elected officials to get fresh mandate, and that includes barangay polls.
The National Movement for Free Elections, another poll watchdog group, said the elections should be held regularly and must push through.
“Postponing elections undermine a democratic process instituted to ensure every individual citizen’s right to choose their leaders and make them accountable,” said the group’s secretary-general, Eric Alvia. With Vito Barcelo, PNA