ABC poll guidelines baffle City Council

CEBU, Philippines — Following the controversies surrounding the upcoming elections of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC), the Cebu City Council is asking the Liga ng Barangay National office to provide the council a copy of its Constitution and Bylaws and the pertinent provision that requires annual dues from the barangays.

In a privilege speech, Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera said she hopes to be enlightened on the controversial guidelines for the conduct of the ABC elections that requires payment of annual dues as of August 31, 2023 to be able to run for a position in the Liga ng mga Barangay.

Pesquera said the issue is “baffling” considering that the term for the newly elected barangay officials only started on December 1, 2023.

“When we ran for national office, when I was elected as your president for the Philippines Councilor League – Cebu City Chapter, the term that was being considered for payment was for this particular term, June 30 of 2022 up to June 30 of 2025, not prior or even months prior to the start of the term,” said Pesquera.

Pesquera noted that some barangay captains have been disqualified to run for any ABC post because of unsettled dues to the organization. The lady councilor said she wants to look into the details of the said unsettled payments causing disenfranchisement of some barangay captains in the ABC elections set on Friday, December 15.

She contended that the payment of dues by the barangays was required by the league without a memorandum from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to back it up.

Pesquera requested the ABC to provide the city council a barangay circular, DILG circular that allowed the payment of the said dues as well as its computation in arriving at the corresponding amount.

Speaking on history, Pesquera said that in every organization there is a need to come up with funds in order for the organization to operate. For the ABC, Pesquera highlighted that way back in the early 90s, a barrio fund was established to support the needs of the ABC, Sangguniang Kabataan and the Liga ng mga Barangay Kagawad ng Pilipinas (LBKP).

According to Pesquera, 90 percent of the barrio fund goes to ABC, 5% to LBKP, and another 5% to SK.

“I do not know if the succeeding years were complied …but during the time of my Father as the president of the barangay councilors, the ABC gave the five percent,” said Pesquera.

In 2016, however, ABC President Franklyn Ong issued a resolution transferring the barrio fund for the sole utilization of the ABC. Since then, Pesquera said, the use of the fund was no longer overseen.

Pesquera recalled having opposed the said resolution in the council contending that they have no authority to transfer the barrio fund for the sole use of ABC. She said that the said fund is a collective amount intended for the use of not only ABC but of the SK and the councilors’ league as well.

Pesquera said that when she did her own checking of the barangay annual dues she found out that 47 barangays have paid an accumulated amount of about P5 million to the ABC.  She also found out that a P12 million fund was made available for some barangays to tap.  —/FPL (FREEMAN NEWS)