• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported yesterday that about 50 percent of the newly-elected barangay officials in Negros Occidental have assumed office, as of November 13.
DILG provincial director Teodora Sumagaysay said that all newly elected barangay officials must assume office within three weeks after proclamation.
A total of 5,245 barangay officials in Negros Occidental, composed of the punong barangay and seven kagawads, were elected into office during the recent concluded BSKE 2023.
The newly elected barangay officials will have a two-year term, until December 2025.
The election of the local federation officers of the Sangguniang Kabataan is set today.
Sumagaysay said that the guidelines issued by the National Youth Commission stated that the SK Federation Election should be held in a public place, in the presence of DILG representatives.
The elected SK Federation president, she added, will sit as an ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod or Sangguniang Bayan.
Sumagaysay added that elections for the SK Federation will be conducted through secret balloting.
A total of 611 SK chairpersons and 4,277 SK kagawads were elected in Negros Occidental during the BSKE 2023.
Sumagaysay also announced that the Provincial SK Federation election will be held not later than Nov. 29.
Despite supposedly being a non-partisan organization, the election of Sangguniang Kabataan Federations is still hounded by allegations of vote-buying.
Sumagaysay, however, said her office has not received any official complaint yet on the alleged lobbying or vote buying.*
