DILG urges voters to stop accepting money from candidates

TACLOBAN CITY, May 8  -- The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has asked the people to stop the practice of selling their votes in next week’s elections if they really want their village officials to be responsible community leaders.

DILG Eastern Visayas Regional Director Marivel Sacendoncillo said that if voters will accept money from candidates and their agents, they could not expect improved services from local officials tasked to resolve concerns in communities.

“If the practice of vote buying and vote selling will continue, we won’t have meaningful change in village governance,” Sacendoncillo said in an information drive at Robinsons North Tacloban Monday.

Under election rules, candidates can only spend PHP5 per registered voter in his or her village, but those buying votes spends up to more PHP1,000 or more per voter, according to DILG.

She noted that vote buying is becoming more rampant, even in villages, because people don’t realize the big role of local officials in spurring rural development.

“From the central government, the three branches of the government -- executive, legislative, and judiciary -- are separate. In the barangays, the three powers are rolled into one person, the barangay (village) chairman,” she said.

The DILG reminded voters of the main duties of a village chief, including the maintenance of peace and order, upkeep of health centers and streets, monitoring of compliance with infrastructure rules, resolving domestic problems, among others.

“Each village needs a leader who has the capability to perform these tasks. The village council members and youth council leader should be competent as well since they are involved in development planning and implementation of projects,” she added.

The DILG has been helping the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the information, communication and education campaign for people to help create meaningful change at the community level by voting wisely in the upcoming elections.

The campaign, dubbed as "Matino, Mahusay, at Maaasahang" Barangay and SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) officials, will encourage the public to choose leaders who possess these three minimum qualities.

On May 14, people will be voting for a village chief and seven council members, while the youth voters will elect one youth council chairperson and seven council members. Those aged 18 to 30 years old will vote both in the village and youth elections.

Meanwhile, Comelec Eastern Visayas assistant regional director Felicisimo Embalsado reminded candidates that they are only given until May 12 to campaign in their respective communities. Campaign period started May 4.

“The Omnibus Election Code states that there should be no campaigning a day before Election Day. If you see someone campaigning on May 13, don’t vote for that candidate,” Embalsado said.

During the campaign period, Comelec asked aspiring village leaders to post and distribute lawful election propaganda such pamphlets, leaflets, cards, decals, stickers, or other written and printed materials not exceeding 8 1/2 inches in width and 14 inches in length, or the size of a legal-sized bond paper

“We also encourage candidates to use clean and green campaign materials and minimize the use of plastic campaign materials,” Embalsado added.

The Comelec also told all winners and losers to file their statements of election contributions and expenditures not later than June 13, 2018, or risk being perpetually disqualified to hold public office.

Newly-elected officials will assume office on June 13. Under Republic Act No. 10952, the next election will be on the second week of May 2020, which means that new set of leaders will only serve two years if the law will not be amended, said Embalsado. (SQM/With reports from Chanda Mae Dialino & Princess Rosette Cabonegro, OJTs/PNA)