3-term barangay bets told: Don’t run

DAGUPAN CITY—An election official in Pangasinan province on Thursday warned village chiefs, who are now serving their third and final terms, not to seek reelection in the Oct. 28 barangay election because they will just be embarrassed.

Marino Salas, Commission on Elections (Comelec) supervisor in the province, said if some of these officials are able to skirt the term limits during previous elections, this time, he said, he will make sure that their names will not be on the list of candidates.

Under the law, barangay officials are limited to three consecutive terms.

“We now know who they are. We will have their names posted,” Salas said.

On his list, which is also posted on the Comelec website, 173 village chiefs in 43 of 48 towns and cities in the province are serving their last terms.

Pangasinan is fifth among provinces nationwide that has the most three-term barangay captains. Iloilo province, which has 268, topped the list, followed by Leyte (228), Bohol (183) and Batangas (175). Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon