ABC elections today

CEBU, Philippines - All barangay captains elected last Oct. 28 are set to elect today their respective presidents of the Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) in component city.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas II issued a memorandum dated Dec. 2, 2013 for the conduct of the synchronized elections.

The Board of Election Supervisors (BES) at all levels is composed of the DILG officer as chairman and representatives of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Parish Pastoral Council, Department of Education, and people’s organization as members.

The elected president of the LnB, also known as Association of Barangay Councils, shall sit as ex-officio member of the city or the municipal council.

The law provides that under DILG supervision, the LnB at the municipal, city and provincial levels shall, within 30 days after the barangay election, should choose their representatives serving as ex-officio member of the sanggunians.

All of LnB of the component cities and municipalities of Cebu, except the highly-urbanized cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu, are holding their elections today.

The provincial, metropolitan, highly urbanized city and independent component city chapters are set to hold their LnB elections on December 18.

The president of the LnB provincial chapter would sit as ex-officio member of the Provincial Board.

Election requirements include payment of registration fees, which shall cover election expenses such as the BES honoraria.

The DILG memorandum provides that payment of reasonable registration fees of participants to cover meals, honoraria, supplies, and other election-related expenses is authorized in accordance with the Liga Constitution and By-Laws, chargeable against their respective local funds subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

Other election requirements are the certified true copy of the Comelec Certificate of Canvass and Proclamation of the winning candidates as Punong Barangay.—/RHM (FREEMAN)