THE Liga ng mga Barangay national chapter held a two-day meeting with the village chiefs nationwide until Thursday, April 6, at Resorts World in Manila to discuss various issues.
Among these are issues pertaining to the proposed postponement and appointing barangay officials, and the federalism.
Bacolod City Liga President Noli Villarosa said the invitation was from Liga national President Edmund Abesamis.
Villarosa, an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, said he is backing the move of postponing the barangay elections anew and for the president to appoint new set of barangay officials.
Abesamis, however, is against appointing the barangay officials, saying “it is against the constitution.”
Article 10, Section 8 of the 1987 Constitution states, “the term of office of elective local officials, except barangay officials, which shall be determined by law, shall be three years and no such official shall serve for more than three consecutive terms.”
Abesamis added that the barangay should not be politicized and that partisanship can enter the barangay level when mayors or other officials appoint or recommend barangay leaders.
“The law provides that the barangay is non-partisan or apolitical. We will not be insulating the barangays from politics if appointment will be the case,” he added. (TDE)