Barangay leaders elect Liga officers

The Manila City Council now a new member to represent the city’s Liga ng mga Barangay (Barangay League) Manila Chapter.

Elected as president of the city-wide league was Carlos Castañeda, chairman of Barangay 893, Zone 99 in the city’s sixth district. He was elected last Sunday in proceedings held at Manila Midtown hotel attended by 895 barangay chairmen of the city.

Also elected were Jesus Fajardo, vice president; Leopoldo Valbuena, secretary; Corazon Gernale, treasurer; Robert Lee, auditor; and Rogelio Chua, board member-at-large.

Elected as the league’s district presidents were Fajardo (1st district), Chua (2nd district), Lee (3rd district), Valbuena (4th district), Gernale (5th district), and Castañeda (6th district).

The election of the league officers is provided for City Ordinance 8093 which states that barangay chairmen from the city’s six districts will choose a district league leader in their respective districts. The elected district league presidents will then elect a president for the city-wide league of barangays. The elected city-wide league of barangays president will sit on the city council as councilor.

The election pushed through 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.

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

"This system guarantees effective representation of all barangays in the city council," said Atienza, who administered the oath of office to the newly elected officers during the flag-raising ceremony at city hall yesterday morning. "With this successful electoral exercise, we have shown Manileños and fellow Filipinos that democracy is alive and thriving in Manila."

He congratulated the Liga officers and urged them to work with the city government in bringing genuine development in all of Manila’s barangays.

"We have accomplished much in the past four years despite the very trying conditions that we have had to work under. With your dynamic leadership, I am confident that we should be able to bring development to all our barangays," the mayor said. – Mike Frialde