Sueno backs move to replace drug-tainted barangay heads with OICs

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael “Mike” Sueno describes the problem of drugs in the country as “enormous” during a press briefing in Malacañan on August22. KING RODRIGUEZ/PPD

INTERIOR Secretary Ismael “Mike” Sueno on Thursday said he supports the proposal to allow President Duterte to appoint barangay officers-in-charge (OIC) to replace village heads involved in  drugs.

During the appropriations committee hearing of the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) proposed P148.73-billion budget for 2017, Sueno was asked about the proposal by the House minority bloc to just appoint OICs in the barangays instead of allowing the barangay captains to hold on to their positions after their terms expire this October.

READ: Minority pushes for appointment of barangay OICs

The bloc made the proposal as Congress is expected to postpone this year’s barangay elections to October 2017 to allow the President to fill up the bureaucracy. There is an appointment ban 45 days before a regular election.

READ: House eyes postponement of SK, barangay polls to Oct. 23, 2017 

Sueno said the postponement of the village polls would allow the government to weed out barangay captains accused of coddling drug lords.

“Ngayon, marami pang pera ang mga drug lord. Baka October, dahil marami silang pera, marami rin silang mapanalo na mga barangay captains. Bigyan natin sila (Philippine National Police Director General) Bato (Dela Rosa) ng another year para ubusin lahat ng mga drug lord… Baka in one year, wala nang drug lord, pwede na mag-eleksyon,” Sueno told the lawmakers.

“Tapos na (mga barangay captain) by October. Paano ito, extension sila ng term nila, or by appointment by the president? Mas maganda po siguro na by appointment. Para ma-identify yung mga related to drugs para mapalitan agad,” he added.

Sueno said the DILG has yet to validate its list of barangay officials involved in the illegal drugs trade. He said one way to replace them with more competent officials is to appoint barangay OICs.

“Hindi pa namin naba-validate, pero marami talagang mga barangay captains na involved. That’s one way of eliminating those involved in drugs,” Sueno said.

Sueno said the next elections might well be postponed to allow the government to make up for the time lost during the previous presidential elections.

“We are all for postponement. Malaki ang gastusin diyan… Kung magka-eleksyon uli tayo, we already lost three months during the May elections. We will not be able to construct and do buildings, do construction for three months during the May elections. If you hold another elections, we’ll lose another three months. Malaki na po ang delay sa projects natin,” Sueno said./rga

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