DAGUPAN CITY — Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño has assured over a local radio station here that the elections for Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) will proceed as scheduled in May this year.
Interviewed over Aksyon Radyo Dagupan on Sunday from his home in Manila, Undersecretary Diño said there was no order from both the House of Representatives and the Senate that the elections would again be postponed.
He said President Rodrigo Duterte has no power to stop or postpone an election.
Only Congress through an approved legislation, can again postpone the elections for barangay officials and members of the Sangguniang Kabataan council, Diño said.
He also belied the rumor circulating since last year that the barangay officials would be appointed soon, instead of being elected.
Diño revealed that DILG received reports that some unscrupulous people posing as officials and employees of DILG are going around the countryside supposedly to choose those who would be appointed in place of the present ones whose term of office had been extended.
The official said if there are people posing as DILG men and doing this illegal activity and the public should immediately inform the police if they encounter one.
The report stated that these impostors were demanding money from anyone interested to be appointed as barangays official. (PNA)
