PUBLIC trust in public office is a must. It is conspicuously enshrined in our fundamental law of the land.
All officials elected during the recently-concluded October 30, 2023 barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections, were all duly sworn in to office. And now, they are on in their respective duties.
To all of them, CONGRATULATIONS!
Consequently, the electorates who voted for them are expecting the best of them in the performance of their daily tasks.
But, how prepared are these newly-elected barangay officials in serving their electorates?
For those reelected into office, the task may no longer be difficult and challenging. For years in public office – in attending official functions and their corresponding brotherly relations with their electorates – they are already used to it.
Simply put, the complexities in public office are no longer new to them.
But, how about the newly-elected officials? Are they as prepared in their official function as compared to their counterparts who had already served the barangay for one or two terms in office?
To Short Cuts, definitely NOT.
Most specially if the newly-elected official is only a senior high school grader. The worst if he is only an elementary graduate!
What can their electorates expect of them in the performance of their duties?
But, to Short Cuts’ observation, barangay and municipal candidates in an election are already improving. The manner of choice in that particular election is also improving.
Most candidates in a barangay or municipal election, are either secondary graduates or degree holders already. And, the electorates are seemed to be improving also in their selection.
NOW, they prefer college graduates.
In the Pre-Martial Law days electoral process, Short Cuts is never wanting of an experience in barangay and municipal elections. He, himself, participated both in barangay and muncipal elections.
First, he ran for Municial Councilor in his fourth class Municipality of Valencia. In that election year, he was already a second year in the College of Law.
Short Cuts’ counterparts during that election year?
They were only either elementary school graduates or secondary undergraduates. Not one of them had ever entered college course.
The result?
He handily won the elections! That, despite the handicap in his inavailability to join in the daily campaign with his political team in the thirty five barangays.
Through political leaflets only, the electorates knew the educational qualifications of Short Cuts as a candidate.
Second, he ran for Barangay Captain. He was the only lawyer ever elected as Barangay Captain in his barangay and the whole town in that election year. Until these days, he remains to be the only lawyer to be elected as a Baragangay Captain in the town.
As a Barangay Captain armed with that educational qualification, he was able to construct the first covered court in the whole municipality despite budgetary inadequacies.
Through solicitations, he succeeded in doing so.
For an undergraduate barangay official, can he do the same? For the majority, they may not. But, there are exceptions.
