Manila LGU defends barangay league elections amid graft complaint vs Mayor Isko
Manila City Hall | File Photo
Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has not yet received a copy of the graft complaint recently filed against him and will wait for its formal service before issuing a detailed response, the city government said on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Despite this, the local government defended the election process for the Liga ng mga Barangay leadership, emphasizing that 844 out of the city’s 896 barangay chairpersons took part in the vote—an unusually high turnout.
“The City Government of Manila respects the will of 844 out of 896 barangay chairpersons who, among themselves, voted in favor of the new set of officers of the Liga ng mga Barangay. Such participation marks a historic turnout,” the local governmment's statement read.
City officials also rejected allegations that barangay leaders were coerced into participating in the process.
“To claim that this overwhelming majority were intimidated into participating in a duly constituted process… is an insult to their intelligence. Mere allegations are not synonymous with truth,” the statement added.
The city government’s remarks come after Leilani Lacuna, sister of former Manila mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, filed graft and related administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against Domagoso and 14 other individuals.
The complaint stems from the recent installation of a new president of the Liga ng mga Barangay in Manila, which Lacuna alleges involved irregularities.
Initial reports indicate she questioned the legitimacy of the process, claiming barangay chairpersons were pressured into participating. The full details of her accusations have yet to be made public.
As of press time, the Office of the Ombudsman has not issued a comment on the filing, and further information on the timeline for the case is still awaited.