Grassroots politics

Two candidates for barangay captain – one the incumbent and another seeking to regain the post – were gunned down over the weekend in separate incidents in Bacnotan town in La Union.

Assassins in this country are equal opportunity thugs, ignoring gender or creed. One of the victims was a woman, barangay captain Eulogia Arellano, who was shot several times as she slept at home Saturday night.

Over in Maguindanao, where there never seems to be a peaceful moment, a town vice mayor was accosted by the military yesterday for taking possession of ballots for two towns and transporting them without authority. Barira Vice Mayor Alexander Tomawis denied this and claimed the Army commander in the area, Col. Ernesto Aradanas of the 503rd Infantry Brigade, was simply working for his political opponent, Sultan Kudarat Mayor Tucao Mastura.

Since the start of the election period on Sept. 25, 29 people have been killed and 12 others wounded in 40 election-related violent incidents, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Task Force HOPE 2010.

Most of the attacks occurred in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The figure is lower than the 67 cases reported in the 2007 elections for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) or youth councils, according to the PNP task force.

HOPE stands for Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections. I guess in every electoral exercise, we’ll just have to keep hoping for HOPE.

All that violence is over government positions that pay no more than P15,000 a month for barangay captains, about P10,000 per barangay council member or kagawad, and a few thousand less for SK officials.

But barangay officials have control over internal revenue allotments of local government units. This year, the country’s 42,025 barangays are getting a total of P51 billion as IRA share. That’s more than P1.2 million per barangay if equally distributed, but allotments depend on population density in each village.

The youth councils get smaller allocations, which are supposed to be spent on activities that, among other things, promote proper values among the youth. Among the activities reported so far are sports competitions, singing and even beauty contests. It’s hard to keep track of SK expenditures because these are not audited.

The lack of public accountability could be adding to the continuing appeal (at least to certain sectors) of the SK, which President Aquino wants abolished, with valid reason.

In a number of barangays, the SK has become a training ground, at taxpayers’ expense, for the children of politicians, many of them warlords and traditional or trapo types in the worst sense of the word. Just go around your barangay and look at the surnames of the candidates with money to spend on campaign materials.

P-Noy is right in wanting the SK abolished. The budget for SK expenditures can be put to better use elsewhere. Youths are not lacking in government representation. There are youth sector congressmen in the House of Representatives, and there are youth committees in the two chambers of Congress. In addition, we have enough infantile lawmakers suffering from arrested development.

Entrenched politicians behind SK and barangay candidates are among the principal perpetrators of election-related violence.

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The readiness to kill over government positions that pay a pittance has long mystified foreign observers.

But those observers are mainly from countries where public office is seen as a public trust and an opportunity to serve rather than a sure means of accumulating wealth.

In this country, public office often serves as the foundation of family fortunes. And political power starts at the grassroots, with the support of people at the barangay level.

It’s never too early to win hearts and minds, so politicians also court SK support.

During general and mid-term elections, barangay officials serve as political leaders of candidates. Barangay officials campaign at the community level and help protect the vote of their candidate. With their grassroots network, barangay officials are often also the ones who engage directly in buying votes, using money given by the candidate or the party.

When barangay candidates are murdered, it is not just a fight over who gets to earn P15,000 a month and supervise about P1 million a year in taxpayers’ money. It’s all about political power, and all the perks and financial opportunities that go with it in this country.

Barangay officials in fact are mandated by law to carry out certain tasks that are important if we want this country to be a better place.

They play a key role in maintaining peace and order within the community, keeping out burglars, settling minor disputes and coordinating with police in guarding against drug abuse.

The barangay system is supposed to function as the first line of defense in promoting public safety. Victims of domestic violence, for example, run to the barangay office for help. Barangay officials must be on alert for victims of child abuse.

Barangay officials are also mandated by law to prevent squatting. Before a shanty takes shape, a prospective illegal settler must be driven away by barangay personnel. If waterways are clogged with shanties, much of the blame falls on the barangay officials in that area.

Barangay officials must also play a key role in proper sanitation and garbage disposal. Jueteng cannot operate without their knowledge.

Taxpayers are spending billions to maintain this system. Today, voters should see to it that the expenditure is not wasted on crooks and incompetents.