LGUs told to create transition team

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has directed all local chief executives to create transition teams and prepare for an effective, orderly, and smooth turnover to next officials.

DILG-Cebu Provincial Director Jerome Gonzales said all incumbent barangay chairmen should start conducting inventory of the financial records and properties for transparency and a smooth turnover to incoming officials.

The inventory should include records and properties under their custody from the start of their term of office up to the present to ensure a smooth and systematic transition from the outgoing barangay officials to the incoming officials come June 30.

“Mao gyud ni atong guidelines every election,” Gonzales said.

The barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are set on May 14.

Gonzales has echoed the recent directive of DILG Undersecretary Eduardo Año.

Año has called on city and municipal mayors in the country to create, through an executive order, a city or municipal audit and transition team for barangays not later than February 28 to ensure compliance.

Under the directive, a barangay inventory team (BIT), to be chaired by the barangay chairman, shall be created in each barangay. Its members shall include at least two councilors, a barangay secretary, a barangay treasurer, a bookkeeper or city or municipal representative, and at least two civil society organization (CSO) representatives, preferably from a faith-based organization or members of the Barangay Development Council.

It said that part of the functions of the BIT is to ensure the completeness of all barangay properties, financial records and documents (BPFRDs).

BPFRDs include legislative and administrative records, transcript or minutes of meetings, list and status of complaints filed before the Lupong Tagapamayapa, updated registry of barangay inhabitants, list or inventory of current local or international development assisted projects, and all other documents containing barangay transactions.

The BIT shall also see to it that all properties of the barangay, supplies, finances that are entrusted to concerned barangay officials are properly accounted for and turned over.

Gonzales warned that criminal charges will be filed against barangay officials who will fail to turnover barangay properties, financial records, documents and money accountabilities assigned to him/ her or under his/her custody.

“Ma-charge gyud sila og dili sila mo-account properly sa money and properties of the barangay,” he said.