Reasons For Postponement Of All Barangay Elections Revealed By President Duterte
President Rodrigo Duterte reveals the reasons for the postponement of all the barangay elections nationwide in October 2017.
During the opening of the 15th meeting of the Asean Senior Officials Responsible for Information, which was held at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City, Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno said that the president wants to end the term of all local barangay officials and to replace them with his appointees.
The interior secretary also explained that the president does not want officials supported by drug lords to win the upcoming election, which was one of the main reason for the postponement of all barangay elections.
Sueno also explained that President Duterte was not the first to postpone all the barangay elections. The supposed election last year was postponed and rescheduled for October 2017.
Mr. Duterte was only waiting for the vacant slot for barangay officials, so he can replace them. “Under the President’s plan, all barangay posts will be declared vacant in October and persons not involved in drugs will be appointed in their place,” said by Sueno quoted by Inquirer.
He also said that several non-government organizations, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and other groups in the country would support the plan of the president.
Sueno also denied the allegations that Mr. Duterte was setting his appointees to strengthen his political hold in the Philippines. He also explained that the president’s plan was only to clear the Philippines from corrupt and drug-financed barangay officials.
He said that he was also supporting the president to totally eliminate illegal drugs and reduce the crime rate in the country, but Duterte did not mention about postponing the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano opposes the postponement of barangay election and said that Duterte’s plan to appoint his barangay officials was unconstitutional.
Last week, President Duterte said that he wanted to postpone the barangay elections again during his speech before the assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) at the Manila Hotel.
