On with the elections
President Duterte himself has admitted that the drug menace cannot be completely eradicated. So using it as an excuse for yet another postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections does not wash.
Recent police operations tend to support the President’s pronouncement that there are thousands of barangay officials involved in the illegal drug trade. There is some basis for the President’s concern that drug money could finance the reelection of these village officials.
Even if those on the narco list are reelected, however, there is no stopping the police from arresting anyone involved in drug deals. Going after drug suspects is one of the duties of the police. In fact, under this administration, nothing has stopped the police from neutralizing anyone on mere suspicion of involvement in illegal drugs.
The reported widespread involvement of village officials in drug deals should make the political leadership consider the abolition of the barangay system and even the largely useless youth councils. Barangay officials, who are authorized to devise their own fund-raising schemes, have been among the biggest hindrances to ease of doing business in this country, adding more layers to the mountain of red tape designed by crooks and incompetent personnel in local government units. The fund-raising schemes include allowing squatting and collecting rent from informal settlers as well as cuts in jueteng and other illegal gambling activities.
As long as the barangays and youth councils remain in existence, however, the democratic system of renewing their mandate must be upheld. The elections have been postponed twice now, in October 2016 and again in October last year. A third postponement of the polls, currently scheduled this May, is fueling speculation that it is part of a plan by the President’s allies in the House of Representatives to railroad Charter change and cancel the 2019 midterm elections.
Two postponements are enough. If narco barangay officials are reelected, anti-drug police units know how to deal with them.