Negros Oriental provincial election supervisor Atty. Eddie Aba on Wednesday admitted the intervention of elected officials in the barangay polls contribute to a more difficult task for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and law enforcement agencies in securing the electoral exercise.
Atty. Aba said that while the barangay election is supposedly non-partisan, it is publicly known that many political leaders flex their power muscles and provide support to the candidates seeking various elective posts at the barangay level.
Politicians tend to influence barangay leaders as they turn to them to deliver the votes during the national and presidential polls as they are familiar and closer with their village constituents.
The barangay election is expected to be “hot” and with intense political rivalry among candidates considering that the poll is localized, said Aba.
“I hope they (politicians) will keep their hands off in the upcoming barangay election,” he added.
According to Atty. Aba, politicians meddling in the barangay elections encourage intense political rivalry, especially so because those contesting the seats are usually known to each other.
The provincial election supervisor led Wednesday’s security planning workshop attended by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army to finalize security details for the October 28 barangay elections.
Initially, at least 27 of the 557 barangays in Negros Oriental have been identified as election watch list areas but the number could either rise or drop, depending on the recommendation of the intelligence community, Aba said.
The whole-day workshop focused on security concerns and the deployment of police personnel and military troops to the different voting centers in Negros Oriental.
The final election watch list will be submitted to the Regional Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council on October 10, a day ahead of the start of the filing of certificates of candidacies by those wanting to be elected to a barangay seat. (PNA) LAP/JFP
