Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. | File photo / Albert Calvelo of Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has issued a memorandum circular appealing for the reinstatement of barangay health workers who were removed from their positions by newly elected village officials.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said the agency is pushing for the regularization of the affected officials, including village watchmen (tanod).
“Sa batas po kasi talaga ay nakalagay na ito ay prerogative ng barangay captain na pwede niyang tanggalin kaya gumawa kami ng circular na kung hangga’t maaari eh wag naman dahil malaki na ang ginugol na pera dyan for capacity building at nakita niyo naman po sa COVID-19 sanay na sanay yan lahat ng programa,” Abalos said in an interview over Radyo 630.
(The law states that barangay captains have the prerogative to remove them; that’s why we created a circular asking them not to do this since we invested a lot of money in these workers, and they already know the ins and outs of the COVID-19 and other programs.)
Under the DILG Memorandum Circular (MC) 2002-150-A issued on September 18, 2002, and Civil Service Opinion dated July 28, 1998, Abalos told INQUIRER.net that “the appointment of barangay secretary, barangay treasurer, and other barangay appointive officials are, by their nature, coterminous with the appointing authority.”
He likewise said that this is not the first time barangay officials terminated health workers and other village officers, pointing out some loopholes in the law.
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“Hindi ito ang first time pero nangyayari po talaga yan dahil sa batas di malinaw, and klaro lang na pwede nila palitan maski barangay tanod, lahat, pero sana naman unang una dalawang taon lang ang termino nila, isa po sa pinaka maikli lang nito,” Abalos said.
(This is not the first time they terminated workers because the law is unclear, but the only sure thing is that they are authorized to do this even to other barangay officials. But I hope they reconsider replacing these workers since their term lasts only two years.)
As of now, Abalos said the DILG and other government agencies have no choice but to file an appeal before these officials.