DILG can't discipline erring local officials

An official of the Department of Interior and Local Government said they have no disciplinary power over erring elected government officials, including those who spend more time in places other than their areas of jurisdiction.

DILG regional operations division co-chief Concesa Gestopa yesterday said only the governor has the disciplinary power over municipal mayors, who can also impose discipline over village chiefs.

Gestopa said a mayor of a faraway town is authorized to spend most of his official time in the city as long as he has a constant communication with his people and still can effectively carry his mandate.

She said there is no way for them to impose sanction unless the residents would file a complaint before the Ombudsman, adding that under the law, the DILG is only mandated "to assist the president in the general supervision of the local government units."

She said it is the residents who can provide for the check and balance system in local governance, the pinnacle of which is through recall, which is a lengthy process.

Gestopa added that it is the governor who should supervise the performance of municipal mayors, who in turn should oversee the performance of village chiefs.

Nevertheless, the DILG has adopted the local governance performance management system (LGPMS) to evaluate the performance of various local government units this year.

Gestopa, the LGPMS coordinator in Central Visayas, said that by October, they would come up with the result of the performance survey conducted in various cities and municipalities in the region in 2005.

Starting this year, Gestopa said the LGPMS would be an annual survey to show if LGUs will perform better. - Cristina C. Birondo