S. Cotabato guv rebukes 'non-performing' barangay officials

SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines - South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes on Thursday lambasted “non-performing” barangay officials in the province and warned to censure them if proven remiss in their duties.

Fuentes had told Catholic station dxOM in Koronadal City she has been receiving persistent reports that there are barangay governments in the province that are non-functional owing to the lack of capacity of elected leaders to govern their own communities.

She said some barangay officials were elected to office despite not knowing how to write and read.

“Until now, there are still many non-functional barangay governments because of lack of knowledge of some barangay officials to efficiently govern their communities,” Fuentes said.

Fuentes said some of these barangay officials hired secretaries who are unaware of the intricacies of community leadership based on the powers of barangay governments as provided for in the Local Government Code.

“These officials hired secretaries and treasurers who also do not know how to read and write,” she added.   

Fuentes said there are barangay halls in the province that are empty of elected officials, only filled with stray animals such as goats and fowls.

Fuentes said she has also been receiving reports about mishandling of barangay funds by certain officials.

The governor said she will push for the creation of a Barangay Monitoring Committee as a watch group that would check on how community leaders in the province are keeping up with their sworn duty to serve barangay folks to the best they can.