Barangay, SK polls moved, draw mixed reactions

CEBU, Philippines — The provincial office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has halted preparations for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls slated originally this month.

Yesterday, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 10952 moving both elections to the second Monday of May 2018.

Provincial Election Supervisor Marco Lionel Castillano said yesterday they have yet to receive a copy of law, as well as the resolution from the Comelec en banc.

"We will be waiting for the resolution from the en banc to suspend all resolutions. (After a resolution is released) The gun ban will no longer take effect. All the prohibitions will cease once the law becomes effective," he said.

He said the law the President signed will have to be published in at least two newspapers of national circulation before it can take effect.

"Once published, it takes effect immediately. Done deal na! There is no SK and barangay elections," Castillano remarked.

For Castillano, it will be more convenient to move the elections next year because the teachers who will serve on that day will not be as busy and classrooms in public schools will be available for use.

Weather is also expected to be ideal as the schedule falls during the dry season.

"Well, ang naka-disadvantage ani kay we have already printed the ballots but maybe we could still use it in 2018. Other election paraphernalia have been procured," he contrasted.

The newly-signed law states that the incumbent barangay and SK officials shall stay in office in a holdover capacity until the new set of officers have been elected.

Barangay officials who are in office were elected in 2013 yet.

Reactions

The development drew mixed reactions from local officials.

For Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, the postponement of the elections means a postponement of democracy.

“I’d like to remind the people that the essence of democracy is the selection of leaders by the people. That’s why you call it democratic. When you postpone it, you are depriving the people of choosing their leaders,” he told reporters.

Osmeña believes Congress passed the law for “very selfish reasons.”

“Don’t misinterpret it that I’m anti-Duterte. I’m just pro-democracy regardless of who is president we should not postpone democratic process,” he said.

Phillip Zafra, president of the Association of Barangay Councils-Cebu City Chapter, believes otherwise.

“We can now focus more on our job and that this will be a challenge for us all to do more and to give more in service,” he said.

Minglanilla Mayor Elanito Peña, Naga Mayor Kristine Chiong, and Carcar City Mayor Nicepuro Apura also support the postponement.

Peña believes the postponement is Duterte's way of preventing politicians from utilizing "drugs money" during elections.

“Ang tumong ug tuyo kay para dili magamit ang kwarta for narco politics," he said.

Chiong said barangay officials should intensify their campaign against illegal drugs.

Like Zafra, Apura said the postponement would give barangay officials enough time to finish their projects, especially those serving on their last term of office.

Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, meanwhile, said a postponement is actually not something news.

“I experienced this in 1994 and 2002 wherein barangay term of office was extended from three years to five years. So, it’s not of the barangay officials’ own doings in extending their terms, but I look at it as an opportunity to the incumbent barangay officials to show their worth why they deserved the extension,” he said.

Gun ban

Yesterday, too, the police announced it will stop implementing the gun ban.

Police Regional Director, Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, clarified, “We could still continue our regular checkpoints but it will not be a Comelec checkpoint where there should be a Comelec representative.”

The difference, he said, those who will be arrested are individuals who are unable to present a license for their firearms and absence of a Comelec officer, who would have guided police officers on the gun ban.

“Illegal firearms na lang, but depende sa pagkahuli. If they are carrying the firearms without any license or violation of the omnibus election code,” Espino said.

He clarified further:

“Those who are caught during the Comelec checkpoints, for violation of deadly firearms and weapons, were told that the legal service will help us to recall the case filed against those persons,” Espino said.

He said checkpoints are conducted as a deterrent to criminal activity, and the gun ban is implemented during the election period to prevent political groups from employing private armed groups.

“To prevent yung political group yung private armed group, ito yung deterrent, in our normal police operational procedures checkpoint is really a deterrent to those individuals, who will carry out their criminal activity using deadly weapons,” Espino said. (FREEMAN)