ILOILO – The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is monitoring the conduct of inventory of all properties and finances by incumbent barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials.
Local Government Operations Officer Raymundo Palanog, DILG-Iloilo Cluster II head, said an order on this was issued to all 1,901 barangays in the province of Iloilo.
This ensures a proper turnover to a new set of officials, who will take over on Nov. 30 after the Oct. 30 barangay and SK polls.
DILG secretary Benjamin Abalos issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 2023-047 on March 21, 2023 mandating the “Conduct of Inventory and Turnover of Barangay/Sangguniang Kabataan Properties, Financial Records, Documents and Money Accountabilities by all incumbent Barangay and SK Officials, and the creation of the Barangay and SK Inventory Team and the City/Municipal Assessment and Turnover Team, in view of the October 30, 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.”
The memorandum is addressed to all city and municipal mayors, accountants, budget officers, treasurers, youth development officers, punong barangays, members of the Sangguniang Barangay, barangay secretaries and treasurers, SK chairpersons, other barangay and SK officials, regional directors and field offices, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao-Minister of the Interior of Local Government, and other concerned government officials.
“Actually, subong sige ang monitoring and sige ang preparation sang incumbent naton nga mga barangay officials para sa turnover. So, hopefully after the elections, tapos na ina ang inventory,” Palanog said in a press conference with the Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Iloilo yesterday.
The liquidation and proper turnover are crucial since it is almost five years past the last barangay and SK elections in 2018.
“This is a very good strategy for transition because during previous years nga wala sang turnover, kon kaisa nagakakibot lang ang bag-o nga officials nga wala sila gamiton. Ang mga gamit waay na, ginpangdala sang previous sa ila balay, indi nila makuha,” Palanog explained.
In conducting the inventory, there should be a Barangay Inventory Team (BIT) composed of the following:
* chairperson – barangay captain
* vice chairperson – member of the Sangguniang Barangay (to be selected by the barangay captain)
* BIT members – three regular Sangguniang Barangay members, barangay secretary, barangay treasurer, bookkeeper, and a representative from a civil society organization (CSO) or non-governmental organization (NGO).
Are there sanctions for non-compliance?
“Yes, there are possible sanctions for that kon indi sila maka-submit,” warned the DILG official.
Palanog explained that anything bought using government funds is considered public property, and if found lost, anyone could file a complaint through the Office of the Ombudsman.
The severity of penalties will depend on the evidence presented against the violators, he added./PN
