'Kodigo', anyone? Tolentino says barangay execs should always carry checklists on their mandate
By Dhel Nazario
At A Glance
- Senator Francis "Tol" Tolentino believes that barangay officials should always carry with them a checklist or some sort of crib notes so they may never forget their mandates.
Senator Francis “Tol” Tolentino believes that barangay officials should always carry with them a checklist or some sort of crib notes so they may never forget their mandates.
This was the senator's message to Local Government Academy (LGA) Assistant Director Esmeralda Purnell on Saturday, Oct. 7 during the former's weekly radio program on DZRH.
Tolentino said that the materials for barangay officials “should be updated enough to include new assignments or forgotten assignments".
This was in reference to the ongoing Senate Justice Committee inquiry led by Tolentino on the kasambahay Elvie Vergara case.
“Kung nabalitaan ninyo yung hearing ko nitong Elvie Vergara case ((If you're familiar with the Elvie Vergara case), it stemmed from the fact na ‘yong kapitan, di ginagawa ‘yong trabaho niya na dapat may database ng mga kasambahay sa kanilang barangay hall (the captain didn't do his job and that there should be a database of household workers in the barangay),” Tolentino explained.
“Dapat siguro may mga checklist kayo ng mga batas, doon sa mga OFWs, sa mga kasambahay, sa speed limits, para alam nila (barangay officials) kung ano ang mga importante (Maybe there should be a checklist of laws, for Overseas Filipino Workers, household workers, on speed limits, so that they would know the important things),” he added.
Purrell committed to look at Tolentino's suggestion.
Meanwhile, Tolentino noted that the upcoming barangay elections will only grant a two-year term and that the LGA should craft the modules and trainings accordingly for the re-electionists, as well as returning and first-time candidates.