Duterte mulls appointing barangay captains

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he had been finding ways to change the leaderships in the barangay level without calling for a local election.

“It’s a bit messy. Kasi kapag tinanggal mo rin ang mga gagong ito, magsigawan—we are looking for a way to appoint nalang the barangay captains,” he said in press conference at the airport terminal shortly after his arrival from Myanmar and Thailand. 

“But ang mechanism to go about it—ako, you know the President has always the power to appoint. But I am going to compromise with the Church and everybody. They can nominate three citizens,” he added.

He said the appointees should pass the tests by the security and intelligence groups.

But he also reminded Filipinos to vote wisely for their leaders at the barangay level where 40 percent of all chiefs had drug links.

“Kaya kayong mga Pilipino, be sure to elect kasi ‘di ko kaya kung ako lang. Wala akong panahon na patayin silang lahat. Tulungan ninyo na ako na ano, iyong next ano, be careful. Be careful with drugs, pera iyan eh,” he said. — BAP, GMA News