DILG's Abalos: Valmocina’s warning a personal opinion

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos on Monday clarified that the warning issued by one of his undersecretaries to barangay officials seeking signatures for the ongoing people’s campaign to push for Charter change was only his personal opinion and not the DILG's position.

DILG Undersecretary Felicito Valmocina earlier said that barangay officials should refrain from being involved in the signature campaign and that barangay halls should not be used for the initiative.

“Gusto ko lang liwanagin that number one, ‘yung sinasabi niya tungkol dito ay kanyang personal opinion lamang ‘yun. Hindi ito ang official na stand o position ng DILG,” Abalos said in a press conference.

(I want to clarify that what he said was his personal opinion. This is not the official stand or position of the DILG.)

To clarify the role of barangay officials in partisan political activities, including the People’s Initiative, Abalos said he wrote a letter to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and is still awaiting the poll body’s response.

He said he wanted to know Comelec’s decision on the matter as an en banc resolution dated April 2022 stated that elective barangay officials were exempted from the prohibition against engaging in electioneering and partisan political activity.

“Ibig sabihin, pupwede. But again, they cannot use government resources, malinaw ‘yan kahit saan. Pero pupwede, pupwede talaga ‘yan. Antayin na lang muna natin, sasagot naman kaagad ang Comelec,” Abalos said.

(This means barangay officials are allowed to do so, but they can’t use government resources. But let’s just wait for the Comelec’s response.)

A joint circular by the Comelec and Civil Service Commission (CSC) in 2016 stated that the President, Vice President, cabinet members, elective local officials except for barangay officials, the staff of the abovementioned officials, and members of the reserve corps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are excluded from the prohibition.

Abalos thus called on the appointed officials under the DILG to be responsible for what they are saying in public because they carry the department's name wherever they go.

“Let this serve as a warning sa lahat ng aming undersecretary na opisyales that to avoid any confusion, bago sana magsalita about issues that are very sensitive, please magtanong muna sa legal department namin,” the Secretary said.

(Let this serve as a warning to all our undersecretaries that to avoid any confusion, ask our legal department first before speaking about very sensitive issues.)

“Ang mahirap ngayon [what’s difficult now] is to create confusion on the ground,” he added.

Valmocina had also issued a clarificatory statement, saying that his comments only constituted his take on the matter and did not reflect the official position of the DILG.

“Tiyakin na ang DILG at ang mga opisyal nito ay susunod at ipapatupad ang mga alituntunin na ihahayag ng COMELEC, na may layuning matiyak na ang boses ng mamamayan ay iginagalang sa demokratikong prosesong ito,” he said.

(Rest assured that the DILG and its officials will follow and implement the guidelines given by the Comelec, to ensure that the people's voice is respected in this democratic process.)

Signature campaigns have been mounted across the country, seeking public support for the people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution. — DVM, GMA Integrated News