Rep. Red Durano says no to appointing barangay officials, Senator Sonny Angara says he is open to the idea

While a Cebu congressman showed his disagreement to the plan to appoint barangay officials instead of electing them, a senator adopted an open mind approach to the issue.

Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI (Cebu, 5th district) said that appointing barangay officials instead of electing them is undemocratic.

“Personally, I don’t think kanang suggestion nga i-appointwill hold water because those positions have been elected. And it is also fair pud siguro that whoever will replace them are elected by the people … I think it is very undemocratic (referring to the suggestion to appoint officials) [Personally, I don’t think that the suggestion to appoint (barangay officials) will hold water because those positions have been elected. And it is also fair that whoever will replace them are elected by the people … I think it is very undemocratic(referring to the suggestion to appoint officials)],” said Durano in an interview yesterday.

However, Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said that he is open to the idea of postponing the barangay elections and in appointing the officials.

Angara said that the issue is not a controversial one since the barangay election was also postponed last year, and he was the sponsor of the bill to postpone that elections.

He said he was then chairperson of the committee on local government last year.

He, however, clarified that he was waiting for the bill so that he could exactly see what the administration would want, especially that it would include the appointment of the barangay officials.

He also said that the postponement is something that the Senate should study.

He also said that although he was open to the idea of appointing the barangay officials, he would also want to hear the feedback from other legislators after the bill was filed in the House on Monday.

“We need to hear the feedback from legislators, who consult the public, their constituents … (We need) to get the pulse of the people,” Angara told reporters in a press conference.

“Okay naman i-postpone, but there must be a good reason. So siguro gusto ko makita yung factual basis sa sinabi ng presidente na 40 percent of the barangay officials (in the country) are drug infested. We need to look at that data, for us to know what is best to attack the problem (It is okay to postpone, but there must be a good reason — Like I would want to see the factual basis of the President’s pronouncement that 40 percent of the barangay officials in the country are drug infested. We need to look at that data, for us to know what is best to attack the problem), ” he said.

He also said that the mechanics of the appointment should also be laid down first, like how long the appointment would be?, who would be appointed? — would these include councilors or only the barangay captains?

Angara was in Cebu yesterday to attend to several activities including the commencement exercises of 274 Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) scholars in Consolacion town in northern Cebu.