Poll exec: Educating voters on brgy bets proper

EDUCATING voters to choose the deserving barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials was just proper.

This is the statement of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Cebu province on the plans of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to release a set of guidelines on choosing village officials in time for the village and youth council elections.

Jonathan Malaya, DILG spokesperson, said on Sunday that the guide would list qualities that would make good village officials. like sensibility, efficiency and reliability.

For their part, Comelec Cebu province supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano, in a press interview with reporters at the Capitol yesterday, stressed the importance of educating voters not only for the voters themselves but also for the candidates as well.

“It’s just proper … that our candidates will also know their job description and what tasks are expected of them if they get elected,” said Castillano.

“More often than not, these officials will only learn about their responsibilities after being seated. Before being elected, you have to know what are your responsibilities,” he added.

The Comelec officer also said the initiatives from DILG will also help unburdening their office on conducting seminars to educate and inform voters.
“Mas daghan pa ang nga mo-educate, mas maayo (If there will be more who will educate, much better). In the first place, trabaho man gud na sa Comelec nga muedukar sa mga botante, considering nga dili namo kaya, we expect nga naay mutabang namo (it’s the job of Comelec to educate voters, considering that we cannot do it all by ourselves, we expect some would help us),” Castillano explained.

He cited one instance when their office, together with the Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC), held a forum to encourage women in Cebu province to run for office in 2016 as one of their programs on educating voters and candidates.

But the DILG’s plans were met with criticism, especially from militant groups who voiced concerns on the possibility of putting colors and biases in the guidelines.

“Well, we will respect their sentiments. Anyway, we will assure that all sectors in the community are well-represented (in conducting them),” said Castillano.

The DILG spokesperson said the department was preparing the list of qualities of a good village chief before the elections to serve as a guide for voters to help them choose only candidates who deserve their votes.

Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) elections were postponed in October last year and moved to May this year. President Duterte had claimed that 40 percent of barangay officials were involved in drugs.