FINDING ANSWERS

Yesterday’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to choose who among the 1.41 million candidates would serve in our 42,027 barangays finally pushed through, to the delight of many.

After years of multiple postponements, the BSKE finally happened. The last time BSKE occurred was in 2018. It was supposed to happen again in 2020 but was moved to 2022, only to be postponed anew to 2023.

Prior to 2018, the last barangay polls happened in 2013, while the last SK elections occurred eight years earlier, way back in 2010. With all the postponements on the flimsiest of excuses, the Supreme Court’s recent ruling banning BSKE delays sans “important, substantial, or compelling” reasons is most welcome.

The political exercise for the county’s smallest unit of government was certainly awaited eagerly by those extremely dissatisfied with their barangay officials. With yesterday’s BSKE, the promise of positive change has finally arrived, particularly in areas needing significant transformation.

Today’s various challenges – the most daunting of which are inflation, malnutrition, and the enormity of joblessness and lack of livelihood opportunities that have resulted in continued poverty – may be overwhelming when viewed from a national perspective, but solutions can emerge by “localizing” problems and subjecting them to sharper focus.
Having participated in the drafting of the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991 during my stint as senator, and having served as Laguna governor and DILG secretary, I truly believe that full use of certain provisions in the LGC can bring about solutions to national problems at the local level.

Barangay officials should be able to maximize use of Section 16 of the LGC that authorizes them to use their vast powers in undertaking activities “essential to the promotion of the general welfare.”

This general welfare clause specifically mandates them to, among others, “improve public morals, enhance economic prosperity and social justice, promote full employment among their residents, maintain peace and order, and preserve the comfort and convenience of their inhabitants.”

Indeed, if all barangay officials adequately perform their vital role to promote the general welfare of their constituents, a lot of our nationwide problems could be reduced significantly.

In fact, the LGC (Section 391) tasks the Sangguniang Barangay to “assist in the establishment, organization, and promotion of cooperative enterprises that will improve the economic condition and well-being of the residents.” With such mandate, barangay leaders can even push for their own local development programs on job creation.

The role of barangay officials as stated in the law is very noble. But is the typical barangay functioning as envisioned? The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) has thought otherwise, gauging by its scathing report in the past.

“The barangay is a microcosm of oligarchic politics, misallocation of resources, and corruption. It serves as an extension of ruling political dynasties and as a base of future traditional politicians. Many candidates for punong barangay (barangay captain) are the children or relatives of the local mayor or councilors. It is also a stepping stone for future municipal and congressional leaders,” CenPEG said.

“‘Village democracy’ is promoted by negative example through rampant vote buying, harassment, and other types of fraud,” the report added. “Clan politics in the barangay where elections are dominated by influential families is bound to create and sustain local dynasties and these serve either as appendage or extension by kinship of bigger political dynasties.”

Although the CenPEG report was made in 2010, many of its findings seem to still ring true. But it is reassuring to note that the Comelec led by Chairman George Garcia seems to be very serious in ensuring the sanctity of BSKE 2023.

RA 10742, or the SK Reform Act of 2016 that was shepherded by then Senator Bongbong Marcos, aims to bring back the SK’s lost nobility. It has an anti-political dynasty provision that bars from SK posts the relatives of elected or appointed officials up to the second level of consanguinity.

Many stories abound on how SK had become a training ground for corruption in the past. What led to the disgrace of SK was the 2002 LGC amendment on ages of SK officers, lowering it from 15-21 to only 15-17 years old. This effectively ensured all SK officials were minors, and therefore at the mercy of older politicians who manipulated them.

But RA 10742 made use of what I worked for in the late eighties. Being the youngest senator then, with youth concerns as my primary focus, I worked for lowering the age of majority from 21 to 18. The new SK law raised the age, from 15-17 to 18-24, required of youth leaders for them to legally enter into contracts and be held liable.

Yesterday’s BSKE is over, but our civic duty should not end on election day. We ought to hound the BSKE victors to excel in the pursuit of good governance at the grassroots. (Email: [email protected])