Comelec announces ban on barangay-funded construction

Comelec office. FILE PHOTO

The construction or maintenance of roads and bridges funded by the barangay will not be allowed for 10 days this October.

The Commission on Elections has disallowed such construction or maintenance projects during the election period of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls, pending its official postponement.

In Comelec resolution number 10202, the ban on barangay-funded roads and bridges will run from October 13 to 22

“The construction or maintenance of barangay-funded roads and bridges shall be prohibited for a period of 10 days immediately preceding the date of election,” part of the resolution read.

The resolution was promulgated last September 26 even as the public is anticipating President Duterte’s signing of the law postponing the said polls to May 2018.

The Comelec stressed that government officials and employees, including barangay officials and government-owned or controlled corporations and their subsidiaries, are not allowed to release, disburse, or expend any public funds for barangay-funded roads and bridges.

However, emergency work may be allowed if necessary due to the occurrence of a calamity.

“But such work shall be limited to the restoration of the damaged facility,” the Comelec added.

The ban will not apply to all on-going barangay-funded roads and bridges projects which began before October 13, as well as similar projects under foreign agreements.

Such exempted projects must be listed and submitted by the barangay captains on or before October 13 to the local election officers.

“Any barangay public works not included in the list required to be submitted by the barangay chairperson shall be considered as falling under the public works ban,” the resolution stressed.

It may be recalled that Republic Act 10923, which postponed the 2016 barangay and youth polls to this year, states that the construction or maintenance of barangay-funded roads and bridges is prohibited for 10 days before election day.

This amended an earlier law, RA 6679, which stated that the construction or maintenance of provincial, city, municipal, and barangay-funded roads and bridges will be banned for 10 days.