Barangay leaders urged to vote in league polls

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza has urged the city’s barangay chairmen to participate in today’s election of officers of the Liga ng mga Barangay (League of Barangays), Manila chapter.

"I am asking our barangay chairmen to exercise their right to vote. Choose those whom you think can provide the best leadership," Atienza said.

In the exercise to be conducted at the Manila Midtown Hotel, leaders from of each of the city’s six districts will choose among themselves a league’s president and representative to the city council. The election of the Liga ng mga Barangay officers, is provided for under City Ordinance 8093, Atienza said. There are 897 barangays in Manila.

The mayor pointed out that there are no more legal impediments to today’s election after Branch 33 of the Manila Regional Trial Court denied a petition for the issuance of a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction on the holding of the election.

Earlier, Manila RTC Branch 33 Judge Reynaldo Ros, in an order dated Aug. 21, 2002, ruled that the court cannot issue a temporary restraining order to refrain respondent city council from implementing the questioned ordinance, citing a lack of merit.

"This system guarantees effective representative of all barangays in the city council," Atienza said.

Under Ordinance 8093, barangay chairmen from the city’s six districts will elect a district league leader. The elected district league president would then elect a president for the city-wide league of barangays.

The elected city-wide league of barangays president will then sit at the city council as councilor.

Atienza said the system is patterned after the procedure being followed in the election of the national president of the Liga ng mga Barangay.