DILG-7: Elected barangay, SK officials can assume to office if requirements are completed

Lawyer Michael Maxino Bandal, legal officer Department of Interior and Local Government Central Visayas, talks to the media during a news forum on Tuesday, August 29. | CDN File photo by Niña Mae Oliverio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Interior and Local Government in Central Visayas (DILG-7) confirmed on Monday, November 6, that candidates, who won in the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections, can start assuming their posts as long as they have completed complying with their requirements.

Lawyer Michael Maxino Bandal, DILG-7 legal officer, said some of the requirements included the Oath of Office, Certificate of Proclamation, and the Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE).

READ: LIST: Barangay, SK election winners in Mandaue City

DILG-7 exec on SOCE

According to Comelec Resolution No. 10924, no candidates can assume office unless they filed their SOCE. 

The filing of SOCE must be done on or before November 29, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and it should be submitted to the Comelec. 

Besides SOCE, Comelec-7 Director Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano earlier said the elected Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials could not assume office if they could not get a certificate of compliance from the election officer showing that the candidates had already filed their SOCE. 

READ:  LIST: Barangay election winners in Cebu City

Transition period

Furthermore, the DILG-7 legal officer said that the transition period would also be important so that the newly elected officials would no longer have obligations from the previous officials. 

Earlier, DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos said that they had given three weeks of transition period to the elected candidates.

The DILG also issued Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2023-166, which contained the guidance of the assumption of office for the elected BSK officials.

The provision is applicable to those winning barangay officials, except the SK officials. 

Hence, this is only effective to the barangay captains and councilors.

READ: BSKE winners plagued by disqualification cases jump to 101

DILG-7 exec on SK officials training

This is because the SK officials still had to undergo training before they could assume office. 

“Mo apply ni siya tanan sa mga nidagan sa BSKE, makaassume na sila derecho,” he said. 

(This will apply to all who run in the BSKE, they can assume directly their posts.)

As to the duration of training, he said that it had yet to be set up by the DILG. 

“Ang ilang training gyud, iset-up pa na siya sa DILG sa mga newly elected nga mga officials nga training,” he said. 

(Their training had yet to be set up by the DILG for the training of the newly elected officials.)

He did not provide the exact duration but he said “it would be as soon as possible.”

“But usually, the training would only be conducted for a few days lang (for only a few days),” Bandal said. 

READ: DILG issues guidelines for winning barangay, SK poll bets

Oath of Office

According to Section 11 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, the office of the elected official who fails or refuses to take their oath of office within six months from the date of their proclamation is considered vacant, unless the cause of such failure is beyond their control.

Meanwhile, in Cebu City, Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said that he would pay more attention to the newly-elected officials who won in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to ensure the smooth transition of governance as mandated by the DILG.

This is among the things that Garcia will focus while Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is on leave from October 31, with plans to return on or after November 30.