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Size matters | Uriel Quilinguing | Views From The South
Mindanaotoday.com | Size matters
Uriel Quilinguing | Views From The South
QUALIFIED voters will once again cast their votes this year, either for themselves or their neighbors.
For this, the Commission on Elections resumed the voters’ registration this month to prepare for the Dec. 5 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
In a virtual forum last Friday, July 15, former Comelec Chairman Christian Monsod said electing incorruptible leaders from the grassroots – in reference to the BSKE – is more important than presidential elections.
His comment was directed to leaders of the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) and the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) after their assessments of the May 9 National and Local Elections were presented.
He urged them to push for amendments of certain provisions of the Omnibus Election Code.
I totally agree with Monsod, but the Local Government Code (R.A. 7160) and the SK Reform Act (R.A. 10742) must be revisited too.
R.A. 10742 has an anti-dynasty provision where candidates for SK chairperson and seven council members must not be related within the second-degree of affinity or consanguinity of an elected official of the barangay.
This, I think, should be applicable to all aspiring to become barangay chairperson (punong barangay) or as one of seven members of the barangay council.
Ideally, barangay and SK elected and appointed officials should not come from one family.
This, however, could not be realized even if the anti-dynastic provisions are in place, unless the population requirement which has been explicitly stated under Sections 385 and 386 of the Local Government Code is complied with.
The 5,000 population, to be certified by the Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly National Statistics Office), is a prerequisite in the creation of barangays in highly urbanized cities such as Cagayan de Oro. For years this has been ignored.
Census of population in 2020 the PSA released clearly showed all 40 numbered and 11 rural barangays in Cagayan de Oro do not have 5,000 residents each.
In fact, there were 10 numbered barangays with less than 100 population – the least was Barangay 39 with 17.
Numbered barangays are all situated within the commercial district of the city which used to be where the residential structures in mid-70s.
In contrast, there were nine barangays with more than 30,000 population, the most was Carmen with 77,756 residents dispersed in 566,311 hectares of land – the city’s biggest in terms of population, land area, and income.
If Carmen is not converted into a chartered city, several barangays should be created out of it.
But for the 40 numbered barangays which had a total population of 24,376 two years ago, these can either be abolished or merged into about five new barangays.
Eight will be elected for the Barangay Council headed by its chairperson (Punong Barangay) and another eight for the Sangguniang Kabataan, including the SK chairperson. Both are to appoint a secretary and treasurer.
Every barangay is also mandated by law to create its Lupong Tagapamayapa (barangay justice system) with 10 to 20 members, and Barangay Tanod Brigade for peace-keeping.
Where will all these people come from?
There’s no need for an election if a barangay has only 17 residents, but there are so much managerial talents and administrative skills from a population of 5,000.
Yet, to provide basic services for 77,756 people would be quite challenging. Size matters.
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