ShareThisPhilippines has just concluded its latest elections – that of the chairmen and councilmen and youth leaders of more than 42,000 barangays, the smallest local government unit in the country.
While the election was supposed to be non-partisan, at least 78 election-related violence were recorded by the Philippine National Police, with casualties of 39 killed and 14 wounded, many of them candidates for barangay chairmen and councilmen.
Because of a history of violence in barangay elections, Philippine National Police forces are deployed all over the country to ensure safe and clean elections. But the presence of a large contingent of police forces in barangay elections is hardly a gauge of its importance in the eyes of many people. Many people tend to ignore the elections and don’t even bother to vote. Personal support for a candidate, not the realization of its importance, is often the driving force in these elections.
What people don’t realize is that the barangay election matters to politicians. And though it is scheduled between local and national elections, supposedly to prevent it from being influenced by political parties, politicians still secretly support, even field their own candidates during these elections. The reason is simple – the barangays, being the smallest units of government, are the politicians’ direct link to the people, the grassroots voters who can be their base. The barangay officials, by the power invested in them by the Local Government Code, can wield some major influence to swing the votes to their favored candidates.
According to the provisions of the Local Government Code, “As the basic political unit, the barangay serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects, and activities in the community, and as a forum wherein the collective views of the people may be expressed, crystallized and considered, and where disputes may be amicably settled.”
Thus, the following resources and powers rest in the barangays:
(i) Agricultural support services which include planting materials distribution system and operation of farm produce collection and buying
stations;
(ii) Health and social welfare services which include maintenance of barangay health center and day-care center;
(iii) Services and facilities related to general hygiene and sanitation, beautification, and solid waste collection;
(iv) Maintenance of katarungang pambarangay;
(v) Maintenance of barangay roads and bridges and water supply systems
(vi) Infrastructure facilities such as multi- purpose hall, multipurpose pavement, plaza, sports center, and other similar facilities;
(vii) Information and reading center; and
(viii) Satellite or public market, where viable
As Benjie Oliveros of Bulatlat cited in his article, “The Importance of Barangay” by virtue of these functions, the barangay has control over substantial resources. For example, the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan–Comprehensive and Intergrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) program, which got a $140 million funding from the Millenium Challenge Corporation alone – the World Bank also funds the program – is being coursed through the barangay. The funds amounting to around P450 to P500 thousand ($10.4 to $11.5 thousand) are deposited directly to bank accounts of the barangay.
Oliveros pointed out too, that the terms of barangay officials are even longer than that of local officials and district representatives. Barangay officials have terms of five years, while that of local officials and district representatives are only for three years. Thus, he conclude, the role of barangay officials, who would be elected this October 25, would be crucial in two succeeding elections: the 2013 local elections and the 2016 national and local elections.
There’s money in the barangay trust and where there’s money, there’s a temptation for corruption. Communities can practice their vigilance first with the official who’s at their arms’ length. Once they got the hang of it, coming after the local and national officials won’t be such a struggle.