DILG exec wants May 2018 barangay polls to push through

An official of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has admitted receiving “trash information” about barangay officials, who are supposedly in the watch list of drug personalities.

At Tuesday’s joint hearing in the Senate on Charter change proposals, DILG Assistant Secretary Ricojudge Echiverri expressed hope the May 2018 elections would push through in order to change the set of incumbent barangay officials.

Echiverri’s remark came after a panel in the House of Representatives passed a proposed measure, postponing the barangay elections from May to October 8, 2018.

“We hope that elections will still pursue and no election is really unfortunate,” Echiverri said, referring to the no-el (no election) scenario raised earlier by some Cha-cha proponents.

“That’s why the department, at this point in time, wants a barangay election this coming (May). We were saddened to the fact that the House has managed to pass a bill for another postponement,” he added.

The DLG official lamented earlier comments accusing many barangay officials of being allegedly involved in illegal drugs, and yet the House would further delay the barangay elections, which should have been held in October 2017.

Echiverri asserted that electing new sets of officials could help in the government’s war against illegal drugs.

“At this point in time, the President needs a new set of officers who will be strong in their drive against illegal drugs. Kaya nga sabi ho namin kung wala kayong tapang at malasakit, huwag kayong tumakbo sa susunod na electon, ibigay sa mga kandidatong may tapang at malasakit at willing magbigay ng mga tamang impormasyon sa amin,” Echiverri said.

“Kasi at this point in time puro basura ang mga ibinibigay sa aming impormasyon kasi ang inilalagay nila sa watch list puro mga kalaban nila sa pulitika, hindi ‘yung mga totoong nasa watch list ng droga,” also said.

Echiverri then urged the Senate to allow the scheduled barangay polls to push through this May.

Senator Francis”Kiko” Pangilinan, chairman of the committee on constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws, welcomed the DILG’s stand against the deferment of the upcoming barangay elections.

“It’s good to know that the DILG favors the barangay elections because it has been postponed ad nauseam ika nga and it goes against the grain of the right of the people to choose their own representatives in a democracy,” Pangilinan said.