Sueno, Congress to discuss plan to appoint brgy heads

Interior and Local Government Secretary Mike Sueno said yesterday he is meeting the top leaders of Congress to discuss President Rodrigo Duterte's plan to change barangay leaderships without calling for local elections.

"Marami pong mga kaakibat na problema diyan. First of all, he (President Rodrigo Duterte) cannot do it by a decree ... It has to be by law. Kaya kagabi nagkausap kami ni Senate President Koko Pimentel kung anong gawin," Sueno said in an interview on dzBB of GMA News Network.

"I'm coordinating with Senator Koko Pimentel and I will talk to Speaker (Pantaleon) Alvarez kung paano tulungan ... I know Speaker is now preparing for this, so si Senate President Koko nga sabi niya, 'I have to talk to our people in the Senate, kung anong gawin namin dito,"' he added.

Duterte on Thursday, after his arrival from Myanmar and Thailand, said he is considering appointing barangay officials instead of calling for a local election. "It's a bit messy. Kasi kapag tinanggal mo rin ang mga gagong ito, magsigawan–we are looking for a way to appoint na lang the barangay captains."

Pimentel had said that replacing elected barangay official with appointees is not supported by law and needs legal basis.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, said that Duterte has to "rethink" his plan, noting that it reminded him of the "authoritarian ideologies" of the late president Ferdinand Marcos.

Commission on Elections chairman Andres Bautista on Friday said that they will follow whatever Duterte decides while also noting that a law should be passed first before he can appoint barangay leaders. He added that, while there is a plan of appointing barangay officials, Comelec will still continue on preparing for the barangay elections which will be held on October 23, 2017.

Sueno said Duterte's plan to appoint barangay leaders is part of his desire to rid the country of illegal drugs. Aside from illegal drugs, he said Duterte also wants to rid the barangays corruption.