Monday, October 15, 2007 Comelec alarmed on low number of SK bets
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) Baguio expressed alarm over the seeming disinterest of the youth with regard the October 29 polls for youth leaders.
City Election Officer Maribelle Uminga revealed only 30 out of the 7,000 who registered last August filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the SK elections as of this date.
If this trend continues until the deadline for the filing of COCs on October 18, Uminga said there is a possibility that some barangays will not have SK leaders in the barangay council.
Evelyn Trinidad, officer-in-charge of the Interior and Local Government-Baguio, said if this happens, funds intended for the SK could not be used and projects intended for the youth in the barangays would never be realized.
Trinidad said only the President could appoint officers who would sit as SK officials.
In the 2002 elections, seven barangays in Baguio did not have SK officials.
Both officials however are hopeful that the number of candidates would increase after college students are done with their final examinations.
The Comelec, meanwhile, continues to register candidates for various positions in the barangay.
One candidate however still filed his CoC despite knowledge that his term limit has lapsed.
Uminga said this candidate might be challenging several interpretations of the Local Government Code, which accordingly does not explicitly provide the term limit for barangay officials.
But Uminga said while the term of office is not provided for in the LGC, Republic Act 9164 or the Act Providing for the Synchronized Barangay and SK Elections states that the term of office of barangay officials covers a maximum of three consecutive terms.
Although the conduct of the barangay elections have been suspended several times in the past, Uminga explained the three consecutive terms refer to those who won in the 1994, 1997 and 2002 elections.
"We do not count the number of years," Uminga said, as she explained that the suspension of barangay elections before led to extended stays in office of some barangay officials.
The Comelec-Baguio personnel were however advised to still receive the COCs and take note of those whose terms may have expired for referral to the Comelec central office.
Uminga said it would be the Comelec en banc that would decide on the disqualification.
Vice Mayor Daniel Fariñas, who is also the dean of the University of Baguio College of Law, warned, those who dare and are planning to file CoCs even with their terms of office to expire this year, not to take the risk.
Fariñas said quo warranto proceedings might be filed and some might be disqualified.
A quo warranto proceeding is an election contest relating to the qualification of an elected official on grounds of ineligibility or disloyalty to the Republic of the Philippines.
The campaign period meanwhile officially starts on October 19 and would end on October 27.
The Comelec would also identify poster areas. As part of the campaign, there would also be barangay assemblies, distribution of flyers with a maximum size of eight inches by 14 inches and display of posters with a maximum size of two feet by three feet.
Winning candidates would take their oaths on November 30.(Rimaliza Opiña)
