Duterte: Fire negligent barangay captains
President Duterte warned the newly elected barangay captains to always keep to their respective areas safe and clean or face dismissal.
The President made the statement as he swore in at least 4,000 newly elected barangay captains in the Calabarzon region in Sta. Rosa, Laguna Thursday.
In a related development, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) expressed its full support for President Duterte’s proposal to issue firearms to barangay captains as a form of self-protection in the performance of their duties.
DILG officer-in-charge (OIC) Eduardo M. Año explained that arming village chiefs is a viable plan as they are the country’s first line of defense in the grassroots level.
Neglect of duty Duterte said he will really suspend or outright dismiss barangay captains for neglect of duty if illegal drugs and criminality thrive in their area.
“’Pag ang barangay ninyo palaging lumalabas sa intelligence community na maraming transaksyon na droga ibig sabihin hindi kayo gumagalaw (If your barangay always comes up in intelligence reports that there are illegal drug transactions there, that only means that you are not doing anything),” Duterte said.
“I will give you a chance. Ang pinaka (The gravest) is gross neglect of duty and I can either suspend you or dismiss you outright,” he added.
Duterte, however, hopes that the barangay captains will not hold it against him as he said he is only doing his job.
A job to carry out “Gagawin ko talaga ’yan. Pero kaibigan tayo. Pero gagawin ko ’yan hindi dahil kaibigan tayo, dahil may trabaho ako (I will really do that. But we are friends. I will do that not because we are friends, but because it is my job),” he said.
Duterte also said that barangay captains have the same powers as a president, and that he expects them to help him fight illegal drugs.
He also encouraged them to ask the local government for help if they find fighting illegal drugs and criminality in their area difficult.
Protecting ‘Kap’ Sec. Año noted that the barangay chiefs’ exposure to scalawags and lawless elements makes it imperative for them to have “urgent protection.”
“Arming them would be more of self-defense purposes since we have enough police forces to operate against lawless elements,” said Año
The DILG chief said barangay officials may buy their own guns legally and can be granted permit to carry so they can defend themselves.
He added barangay chiefs may also be accepted as CAFGUs or Special Civilian Armed Forces so that they can be issued with government firearms and mission orders. (With a report from Chito Chavez)