BAGUIO City Councilor Arthur Allad-iw is opposing the appointment of barangay leaders instead, pushed for the preservation of the democratic process.
“To suspend it or appoint officials runs contrary to these rights and electoral processes. Election is the means that we enjoy these rights to choose our leaders and provides mandates for them to serve the people.”
Allad-iw said “Election is an ingredient of our democratic process which is based on our fundamental law and local law. In fact, our barangay visits showed that the electors are supportive for the conduct of election this October. Not for its postponement, nor appointment of Barangay official which undermine our democratic system.”
The councilor added the consultations they conducted in the barangays and community elders proved that the people wanted to push for the election.
“Our barangay visits proved that the people wanted to push for the election. So as a support to democracy and the processes, we urge Congress to adopt a law to push for the barangay and SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) elections comes October 2017.”
Allad-iw said Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) Officials, Congressmen, Senators and other elective positions in government, should be voted by the people “And should not be appointment of officers-in-charge by the president so that their loyalty will be to the people and not to the appointing official.”
In the House of Representatives, Robert Ace Barbers filed a bill to postpone barangay and Youth Council elections to 2020 in support of the administrations call to appoint village chiefs citing the on-going war against drugs for the move.
Allad-iw said the move is not the solution to get rid of barangay officials involved in drugs but the filing of cases against them, adding that “pushing through with the scheduled elections so that the people who knew exactly their leaders will get rid of bad eggs in the village council.”
