TOMORROW, August 28, begins the filing of Certificates of Candidacy for barangay officials.
A Barangay Captain and seven Barangay Kagawads and a Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman and another set of seven members to compose the SK lawmakers for the barangay are to be elected.
Once catapulted to power, they are to serve their respective barangays for only two years.
It is a matter of record that Short Cuts served his town as a lawmaker in the early 60s. After which, he served the town as its local executive in the early 70s. And, in the early 80s, he was elected Barangay Captain in his barangay.
Consequently, he was elected as ABC President of the province, ABC President of Region 7, and ultimately as the Secretary-General of the Federation of ABC Presidents in the whole country.
With the series of elected local positions held, Short Cuts could easily recognize and identify the varied behaviors, reactions, and interests of candidates in a barangay election.
So this query could be asked:
How is the degree of interest that candidates for barangay elections show as of NOW as compared to the interest of candidates BEFORE the effectivity of the New Local Government Code?
And, it must be remembered that long before the New Local Government Code, elected barangay officials serving their respective barangays were not afforded even a single cent of honorarium or per diem.
The most significant of it all, Barangay Captains and other Barangay Officials are, in most cases HOSTS when bigwigs in the town, specially the municipal mayor or provincial offical visit the barangay!
Wa pay suheldo pagasto-on pa jud.
So, with that scenario, who is that person in the barangay that would muster enough guts in order to get elected as a barangay official?
Just for power and dignity as a barangay official?
To Short Cuts, no way! And, true indeed!
Why?
Because when the barangay elections were held immediately after the local elections in 1971, there were fifteen barangays in Short Cuts’ local government unit that failed to elect their officials.
Not one in the fiften barangays dared to file any Certficate of Candidacy!
With the impending problem on governance in the fifteen barangays in the next four years, Short Cuts had to relay the same problem to the Department of Interior and Local Government of the province.
The solution offerred by the provincal DILG officer?
“Mayor, just appoint the Barangay Captains and Kagawads in these fifteen barangays”, Short Cuts was told.
Therefore, Short Cuts, as advised, had to appoint the officials even how reluctant they were to the offer.
With the present scenario where Barangay Officials are NOW receiving some amount for their services in the barangay, are there still reluctant candidates for the upcoming barangay elections?
NO WAY unya kataw-anan!
Why?
There are 20 barangays out of 35 barangays in Short Cuts’ town that registered a minimum of three sets of candidates in the same political affiliation!
Bisan gi-unsa paghangyo nga pasibugon ang usa o duha ka grupo, dili jud mosugot!
Is the political atmosphere obtaining in Short Cuts’ locality an isolated case?
Short Cuts never believes . . . .
