League puts polls on hold

AFTER SENATE OKS DEFERMENT PROPOSAL

The National Executive Board of the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas has directed its members to put chapter elections on hold as it discusses a memorandum of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) directing the league to hold elections immediately.

The DILG memorandum came after the Senate approved the proposal to postpone to May 2018 the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections from the original schedule of October 23 this year.

In a resolution signed by the league’s national president, Atty. Edmund Abesamis, the NEB said:

“Whereas, the NEB has to be convened further in order to discuss and deliberate on the implementation, issues and concerns about the DILG Memorandum, and until such time that the NEB has made an announcement and has taken action during the period mentioned in the DILG Memorandum, no elections shall and can be held.”

Alongside this, the NEB directed its current chapter officers to remain in their posts.

Contrary to interpretations that the DILG is overtaking the league’s powers, the league clarified that the DILG memorandum actually recognizes the league’s power to hold an election.

“DILG Memorandum is a recognition of the exclusive power and authority of the Liga ng mga Barangay (Liga) to call elections as the DILG is not calling elections but is directing the Liga to be the one to call elections thereby making any election not sanctioned by the Liga, through NEB, as null and void,” the resolution reads further.

The DILG memorandum states that the league “is directed to immediately hold elections for the exofficio members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sangguniang Bayan not later than November 30 of this year.”

DILG-7 Director Rene Burdeos also clarified that it should be the league that should set its own election date.

"Sila mo-fix sa date but not November 30," Burdeos told The FREEMAN.

Councilor Philip Zafra, the league’s president in Cebu City, also pointed out that the law provides for the league’s independence to schedule its election. He pointed out further that when the barangay elections were postponed in the past, the officers simply held on to their posts further.

"Sa una nga na-postponed ang barangay elections kay wala may elections nga gihimo; karon ra man ni nga naay directive ang DILG pero para sa National Executive Board sa Liga, dili pwede makabuot ang DILG kung kanus-a dapat ang election," Zafra said.

In fact, under the bill the Senate approved to postpone the polls, barangay officials are allowed to continue exercising their functions in a holdover capacity.

CEBU CITY COUNCIL

The issue also took a different turn at the Cebu City Council when Councilor Sisinio Andales, citing the DILG memorandum, asked Zafra to step down.

“The president of Association of Barangay Council must cease and desist as a member in the City Council considering the lack of authority of such position,” Andales said.

Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera argued that the terms of service of barangay officials and “regular” councilors end differently.

“We know for a fact, the term of barangay is different from the regular members of the august body. The barangay kay November man while the regular is June when the new elected officials will sit,” Pesquera said.

Councilor James Anthony Cuenco agrees.

“If we follow the logic of Andales, we could be the first City Council in the whole Philippines asking our ABC president to vacate his post,” he said.

At the Council, Zafra reiterated the league’s position of letting the law prevail.

“No, I am not declining. I am just following laws, right manners and right conduct. I am still the president of the association and under the law and existing jurisprudence, I am still the president. I thought walay forever pero naa man diay because it was not us to seek our extension in the office, it is by law,” he said.

“I would like to clarify it, nothing in the memorandum issued by DILG that tells us to vacate our position. It is very explicit nga niingon sila to direct election but they recognized the Liga, National Executive Board as the only one who could direct or conduct election and we have a resolution barring us from calling for an election,” he added.