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Barangay
THE barangay election is scheduled this October. But there is a broad consensus among the Executive Department, Congress and Commission on Elections to postpone it to 2017. Among the reasons cited are: the deferment would give way to the continuing fight against crime and corruption of President Duterte; the upcoming polls, being manual, is costly; and election fatigue.
Whatever the reasons, it is acknowledged that barangays are not just the basic units of government; they are also basic people’s organizations that maintain peace and order and implement community projects in accordance with the needs and wishes of the members of the community.
If the elections are moved to 2017, so be it. But as the leaders and representatives of the community at the grassroots, barangay officials have the duty and obligation as well as the authority to safeguard the electoral exercise at the barangay level to ensure free, orderly and honest elections so that the will of the community is truly reflected in the election returns.
Barangay officials should consider themselves not just as agents of the national and local governments, but as representatives of the people of their barangays, so that it becomes their duty to see to it that the desires of their constituents as expressed through the ballot box are protected, accurately reported and fully implemented.
The further strengthening of the powers of local governments, including provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays is also being suggested so they can harness people power in the great effort to promote local and national progress and the public welfare.
So that the citizenry can fully participate in the governance of their respective localities, drawing their strength and ideas from the collective resources of the masses, the strengthening of the autonomous powers of local governments, from the provincial, city, and municipal to the barangay level is needed.
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