Village, youth polls in May a go

Village and youth council elections in May are a go, drawing echoes of President Rodrigo Duterte’s warning against electing village officials involved in drugs.

Martin Diño, Interior undersecretary for village affairs, said at a joint press conference with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that voters should shun addicts, drug pushers and crime suspects.

“It is only right that we choose candidates wisely,” said Diño, a former village official who gave his slot as a presidential candidate of PDP-Laban in 2016 to then Mayor Duterte.

In the same press conference, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said aspirants for village positions have from April 14 to 20 to register as candidates. —Jeanette I. Andrade