Marcos administration looking into 5-year term for barangay officials

The incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is looking at the possibility of passing a law giving barangay officials a five-year term of office, according to Mariz Umali’s “24 Oras Weekend” report on Saturday.

Under the current law, the term of barangay officials is only up to three years.

“But we are open to all options that are being presented to us including the possibility of passing a law and making the term of barangay captains to five years, still subject to three terms,” Atty. Vic Rodriguez, executive secretary-designate, said.

Asked if the December 2022 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections would be postponed, Rodriguez said, “We are studying thoroughly the plus and the minuses of spending or calling for elections and there is nothing definite yet.”

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said earlier it would start making arrangements for the December 2022 barangay and SK elections next month, despite calls for its postponement.

The Comelec would also start working on the printing of certain election documents, procuring election equipment, and training poll workers.

The October 2016 barangay and SK polls were postponed to October 2017. From then, it was postponed to May 2018. It was again reset to May 2022.

Migrant Workers Department

Meanwhile, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary-designate Toots Ople said that since the department was newly established, they were still developing its policies and designating staff members.

“Pagpasok ng July 1, ang utos po ng ating Pangulo eh hit the ground running so pine-prepare na po namin ang isang department order creating a task force against human trafficking and illegal recruitment,” Ople said.

(On the start of July 1, the President's order is to hit the ground running so we are preparing a department order creating a task force against human trafficking and illegal recruitment.)

“Tiyakin na walang disruption of services, tiyakin na kung ano ang kayang gawin ng dalawang departamento para sa Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) gagawin na namin at napakahalaga din po sa ating pangulo na pati pamilya ng OFWs, hindi lang yung OFWs pati mga anak nila ay ma-alagaan din ng bagong department,” she added.

(We will also make sure that there is no disruption of services, and t the two departments for OFWs would start working for them. It is also very important to our President that the families of OFWs will also be taken care of by the new department.) — Richa Noriega/DVM, GMA News