Garcia: Keep village execs off the signature drive

Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia speaks during a press briefing at the Comelec Central Office in Manila on Thursday, November 30, 2023. | PHOTO: Noy Morcoso/ Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines — Should barangay (village) officials participate in the signature campaign for a Charter change (Cha-cha) via people’s initiative? Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Garcia prefers they don’t.

For Garcia, village officials should be excluded from verifying signatures for a people’s initiative.

READ: Marcos urges to let Comelec validate Cha-cha signatures

“Kung ako ang tatanungin, dapat bawal ang mga barangay officials, hindi sila dapat nakikialam dahil para makita talagang sentimyento iyan ng sambayanan,” the Comelec Chair revealed on Wednesday, saying that his statement on the matter is simply his personal opinion.

(If it were up to me, village officials should not be allowed to meddle with it so we can be sure that it’s actually the people’s sentiment.)

Garcia explained that if his suggestion is implemented,  it would prevent allegations of signatories being pressured by the officials into supporting the initiative.

The Comelec will be conducting the verification and validation, among others, of the collected signatures once the proponents, People’s Initiative for Reform Modernization and Action, submit their petition.

“As the head of the commission, I will not allow the barangay officials to interfere with the bid in people’s initiative,” he said in Filipino at Kapihan sa Manila Bay.

“So that they [proponents] can assure (us) that these signatures are legitimate, collected properly, and that we should actually proceed with the verification,” the Comelec Chair added.

However, Garcia clarified that in the end, it would be up to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to issue such directives.

In a previous statement, the commission’s Chair clarified that they have no jurisdiction over village officials regarding their participation in partisan activities, including the signature campaign for a Cha-cha through people’s initiative.

The DILG had asked the Comelec whether village officials can be involved in the campaign before the department could take its stance on the matter.