In E. Visayas, 4,000 village execs are on final terms

TACLOBAN CITY—Over 4,000 incumbent barangay officials in Eastern Visayas are serving their third and last terms and could no longer run for the same positions in the coming elections.

Of the 4,466 third-term village officials, 607 are barangay chairs while 3,859 are village councilors, said Pedro Noval Jr., regional director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Eastern Visayas.

Republic Act No. 9164 or “An Act Providing for the Synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections” prohibits barangay officials who had served three consecutive terms from seeking reelection.

Noval said the DILG would submit the names of barangay officials who are now on their third terms to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The DILG list will serve as basis for complaints against ineligible candidates and for the Comelec to act on disqualification cases.

The filing of certificates of candidacy for the Oct. 28 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections has been set on Oct. 15 to 17.

The nine-day campaign period will be from Oct. 18 to 26.