“We do not lack good leaders in this country.”
In a unitary presidential constitutional republic such as the Philippines, the central government, both the executive, headed by the president, and the legislature, wield most of the powers and authority. Local government units may exercise only such powers that may be given to them by the central government.
Before the enactment of the Local Government Code in 1991, practically every disbursement, official transaction, fund generation activity by the local government must have the blessing of the central government. With very limited powers, local government units (LGUs) have to rely heavily on the central government for funding and logistical support. Politics in the country as it is, local executives who are allies of the president or with better connections are given funding priorities. LGUs whose local executives do not have the connections usually end up at the bottom of the list of funding priorities, to the detriment of their constituencies.
But the advent of The Local Government Code (LGC) made some radical improvements to local governance. As envisaged, the LGC is a law seeking to correct systemic and inherent infirmities and inadequacies of LGUs. The Code sought to “provide for a more responsive and accountable local government structure instituted through a system of decentralization with effective mechanisms of recall, initiative, and referendum, allocate among the different local government units their …”
The law give flesh to the constitutional injunction to institutionalize “local autonomy” by giving local governments, from provinces, independent cities, component cities down to the barangay level, greater and broader powers, which hopefully, will effectively emancipate the LGUs from the shackles of “Imperial Manila”
Local campaigning, which has just started, takes on a festive mood, with all sorts of gimmickry to attract voters. But behind this upbeat imagery, local elections have a darker side. Electoral violence, especially in remote areas, is not a rarity. Vote buying, and underhanded and often unlawful tricks are resorted to ensure victory in the polls.
Nevertheless, local governments play an essential role in the overall scheme of government, performing a broad range of activities such as social care, schools, housing and planning and waste collection, among others.
With the Mandanas ruling to take effect this year, the balance of resource allocation in the country will – rightly and in fact belatedly shift to local governments. This dramatic change could make the local government elections more important than the national polls.
Certainly for most citizens, their experience with government will be more with their governor, mayor, and barangay chief than with the president and her cabinet.
In this regard, I make the following endorsements for the local elections:
For my home city Cagayan de Oro, without doubt, I endorse my brother Pompee La Viña. He is a brilliant visionary, a proven administrator, and definitely incorruptible.
For the city where I have my residence, Quezon City, I endorse once again the incumbent Mayor Joy Belmonte. I have known Joy as a fellow Jesuit Volunteer and have experienced first-hand her performance in the pandemic. We have directly experienced the efficiency and effectiveness of the Belmonte led QC government during the pandemic, including in getting our vaccination and booster shots.
For nearby cities Makati and Pasig, where I occasionally work, Mayors Abby Binay and Vico Sotto should be reelected. As a professor of the College of Law of the University of Makati, I have seen and benefited first hand from the hands-on governance style of Mayor Binay. And yes, as his teacher and former boss in the Ateneo School of Government, Vico has exceeded all expectations as local chief executive. I think we know where Vico will end up a few years from now and Pasig is a training ground for that future national role. How lucky the citizens of Pasig that they got the first taste of this young man’s leadership style.
For Opol in Misamis Oriental, whose beaches I frequent and love, I endorse the young lawyer Jay Bago. It is a municipality which needs dynamic leadership and Jay can deliver that as my friend Dixon Yasay did that years ago.
For Alcala, Cagayan, I of course endorse Mayor Tin Antonio – my student, my fellow Ateneo de Manila philosophy major, spouse of my UP Law contemporary Joel Butuyan, and fellow human rights lawyer. Tin will soon also rise to higher positions in the province and in the country. I am excited to see that.
For Vice Mayor of Caloocan City, I endorse strongly Anna Karina The. I have known Karina since she was a child and I am amazed at how she has matured as a progressive government official. Karina is not just the future of Caloocan but – like Vico, Tin, Joy, and Jay – of the Philippines.
For provincial governors, I endorse Peter Unabia, a fellow Jesuit Volunteer, for Misamis Oriental and Kaka Bag-ao, a fellow alternative lawyer, for Dinagat Islands.
I will make other endorsements in the future, especially of former students from the Ateneo School of Government and the many law schools I teach in. We do not lack good leaders in this country. That I am sure of.
Website: tonylavina.com
Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs