OPINION: Why barangay and SK politics should be reformed

    By Atty. Josephus Jimenez
    WHAT MATTERS MOST
             The Freeman

We endorse the decision of the president and Congress to postpone the Barangay and SK elections again, for the nth time, because I believe the barangays, or at the very least most of them, have deteriorated into the feudal turfs of municipal mayors and other local politicians. With all due respect to the minority of honest and innocent ones, most barangay captains have deteriorated into the alter egos of the mayors and other local kingpins. Worse, other barangay officials have become virtual cronies, robots, and blind followers of the mayors. The Ozamiz Parojinog example and the Albuera Espinosa model are being duplicated all over the Philippines. And so, if elections are held as scheduled, narco politics shall determine the results. Democracy shall be negated.

Our arguments are simple. No drug trade can ever proliferate in any town without the tacit or admitted approval of the mayor and the chief of police. No drug trade can ever last in any province or congressional district without the knowledge, even support of the provincial governor and congressman. If a mayor congressman, governor or congressman does not support the drug trade in his political jurisdiction and the trade continues unabated, then he must either be too naïve, stupid, or afraid of being liquidated by the drug syndicate. Then the barangays are being pressured to either actively support the drug trade or look the other way. Government intelligence including Malacañan information confirms drug syndicates currently control thousands of barangays and local government units all over the country.

If elections are held without first dismantling the drug trade web, then all or almost all of the winners will most probably be the drug-controlled barangay candidates. Then the government will never be able to solve the drug malady because the next set of barangay officials shall be under the control of drug lords. Why won’t the national leaders put a stop to such a vicious cycle? Next to the family, barangays are supposed to be the basic foundation of the whole nation. Democracy should be practiced in the barangays in its purest form. The people should be expressing their will without interference and pressure from anyone. But today, such democracy becomes a mockery because elections are controlled by narco money.

These arguments may also be true even in many municipalities and some provinces and cities. Congress should also look into this bigger problem. As to the SK, as a former youth and student leader, I am very frustrated that the SK has become a training ground for future trapos. Many young SK politicians are being trained to falsify receipts, manipulate liquidation reports, and defeat the true will of the people through rampant vote buying, rigging of elections, and all the shenanigans in dirty local politics. Mayors put up their own children to dominate the SK polls. The youth have allowed themselves to be used, abused, and misused by the corrupt elders and traditional politicians. Indeed, barangays and local politics, as well as the SK should be reformed. (The Freeman)

(Photo Credit:  Atty. Jimenez Facebook Profile Picture)

"Drug-free" barangay hall in Muntinlupa City

LEADING by example, the local government of Muntinlupa is cleaning its own backyard in connection with its implementation of its own illegal-drugs campaign as part of the local government’s massive crackdown on this perennial problem.

As a headstart, Poblacion Barangay Hall has been declared a drug-free workplace after adhering to the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) regulations. Barangay Poblacion adhered to DDB Regulation 2 series of 2004 guidelines for the formulation and implementation of a drug-free workplace program.

It includes the passage of a Workplace Anti-Drug Abuse Policy, creation of a Workplace Anti-Drug Abuse Committee, publication and signing of policy to all employees, conduction of Anti-Drug Abuse Orientation to employees, conduction of compulsory drug test and corresponding action and evaluation and issuance of resolution for the declaration.

Employees of the said community found positive on dangerous drugs were terminated and  subjected to intervention through the Mamamayan at Pamilya Laban sa Droga program, a local rehabilitation approach for drug-users.

Poblacion Barangay Captain Allen Ampaya said the declaration that their barangay-hall offices is free from drugs is just the beginning of their campaign in making every community in Poblacion drug-free.

No less than DDB Chairman Secretary Dionisio Santiago, together with Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) executives, led the recent unveiling rites of “drug-free” Barangay Hall Billboard in Poblacion.

He lauded the community officials and the Drugs Abuse Prevention and Control Office in making sure government employees are drug-free and stopping the proliferation of illegal drugs in the offices.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi extended his gratitude to the DDB and the PDEA for their unwavering support oif Muntinlupa’s thrust to foster drug-free workplaces and communities.

In Muntinlupa, there are two communities declared drug-free as of August. They are Gundran Compound and Pinagpala Compound in Putatan.

The city government of Muntinlupa supports the national government’s campaign to eradicate illegal-drug activities and its adverse effects in the communities. (Business Mirror)

'Barangay day' in Lubao Pampanga

Lubao, Pampanga -- In a bid to bring government services closer to the people, the Municipal Government here conducted its first "Barangay Day" in San Roque Dau I on Tuesday, August 22. Mayor Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab led municipal officials and employees in providing services to residents of the barangay.

Medical and dental services, as well as employment, engineering and civil registration assistance were farmed out to residents. Municipal health officers provided free medical consultations and medicines for hypertension and diabetes. The municipal dental bus was also on standby for oral health consultations.

Cayabyab also received various requests and answered queries relevant to the services that the local government unit (LGU) is providing its constituency.

Those seeking employment were also registered to be referred to companies thru the public employment services office.

Since "bird flu" remains the hottest issue in the province, Municipal Agricultural Officer Maria David shared information about the disease to dispel public fear about the disease.

Planting of malunggay and papaya will also be part of the next barangay visit to promote backyard farming among the constituency.

This was the first of a weekly barangay visitations that the LGU will conduct until the first quarter of 2018. Cayabyab hopes to conduct the same activity in at least one barangay per week.

She said all requests for projects and other services shall be consolidated and included in the next budget deliberation of either the LGU or national agencies concerned. (SunStar Pampanga)