MANILA — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is now on the lookout for three-termer barangay officials, who are prohibited by law to run for the same post.
As the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections draws near, DILG Officer-in-Charge Secretary Eduardo M. Año has ordered DILG Regional Offices to submit the names of incumbent Punong Barangays and Sangguniang Barangay members serving their third consecutive terms in office in the same position.
Año said the consolidated list of barangay officials on their third consecutive term in the same position would be submitted to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) this March for posting in conspicuous places before the scheduled filing of COCs on April 14-20, 2018.
“Mahigpit na binabantayan ng DILG kung sino-sino ang mga tatakbo sa posisyong tatlong magkakasunod na termino na nilang hawak (The DILG is strictly monitoring whoever would run for the position, which they have been holding for three consecutive terms),” he said.
The DILG chief said this preventive action of the department is in compliance with the Local Government Code that states: “No local elective official shall serve for more than three consecutive terms in the same position. Voluntary renunciation of the office for any length of time shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of service for the full term for which the elective official concerned was elected.”
Four regions have so far submitted their lists to the DILG National Barangay Operations Office (NBOO).
In Region I (Ilocos Region), there are 745 third-termer Punong Barangays and 4,483 third-termer Sangguniang Barangay members.
In Region 4-B (MIMAROPA), 319 Punong Barangays are in their third-term, while 1,792 are third-termer Sangguniang Barangay members.
In Region 7 (Central Visayas), there are 638 third-termer Punong Barangays and 4,059 third-termer Sangguniang Barangay members.
In Region 13 (CARAGA), 290 Punong barangays are in their third-term, while 1,626 are third-termer Sangguniang Barangay members. (PNA)
