Sueno meeting Congress leaders on Dutertes plan to appoint barangay captains

Interior and Local Government Secretary Mike Sueno said Saturday he is meeting the top leaders of Congress to discuss President Rodrigo Duterte's plan to change barangay leaderships without calling for local elections.

"Marami pong mga kaakibat na problema diyan. First of all, he (President Rodrigo Duterte) cannot do it by a decree...It has to be by law. Kaya kagabi nagkausap kami ni Senate President Koko Pimentel kung anong gawin," Sueno said in an interview on dzBB.

"I'm coordinating with Senator Koko Pimentel and I will talk to Speaker (Pantaleon) Alvarez kung paano tulungan...I know Speaker [Alvarez] is now preparing for this, so si Senate President Koko nga sabi niya, 'I have to talk to our people in the Senate, kung anong gawin namin dito,'" he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said that he is considering appointing barangay officials instead of calling for a local election.

“It’s a bit messy. Kasi kapag tinanggal mo rin ang mga gagong ito, magsigawan—we are looking for a way to appoint na lang the barangay captains,” he said in a press conference at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport shortly after his arrival from Myanmar and Thailand.

“But ang mechanism to go about it—ako, you know the President has always the power to appoint. But I am going to compromise with the Church and everybody. They can nominate three citizens,” he added.

Pimentel had said that replacing elected barangay official with appointees is not supported by law and needs legal basis.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, said that Duterte has to "rethink" his plan, noting that it reminded him of the "authoritarian ideologies" of the late president Ferdinand Marcos.

Commission on Elections chairman Andres Bautista on Friday said that they will follow whatever Duterte decides while also noting that a law should be passed first before he can appoint barangay leaders.

Bautista also pointed out that while there is a plan of appointing barangay officials, they will still continue on preparing for the barangay elections which will be held on October 23, 2017.

Drug money

During the interview, Sueno said Duterte believes that majority of the barangay chairmen who will be elected during the October 23 elections are the moneyed candidates and probably involved in illegal drugs.

"Alam niyo po sabi ni Presidente, 'pag ka mag-eleksyon kasi tayo ngayong October 23, ang manalo for sure yung mga may pera. Tsaka yung mga may pera karamihan niyan drug money 'yan, galing sa droga," he said.

Sueno said Duterte's plan to appoint barangay leaders is part of his desire to rid the country of illegal drugs.

Aside from illegal drugs, he said Duterte also wants to rid the barangays corruption.

"Kasi objective niya talaga alisin ang droga dito sa Pilipinas eh kung maraming kapitan ang manalo dahil sa droga, so maraming protector ang droga. Kasi ngayon hindi lang sa diyan ano, hindi lang sa droga, nakikita kasi niya na dapat din sa mga kapitan yung hindi corrupt na mga kapitan," he added.

Duterte had said that several barangay chairmen are included in his list of public officials involved in illegal drugs.

Sueno, however, admitted that the only basis for the drug list are intelligence report that will "not hold water in courts."

He said law enforcement agencies are still in the process of building up cases against the local officials.

Meanwhile, Sueno said that voters should choose barangay officials who are not involved in illegal drugs and corruption.

He also said the country also needs brave barangay chairmen who will not be afraid to cooperate in the military and the police's operations against rebels and terrorists.

Source : GMA