EDITORIAL - Why gang up on DILG?

The Department of the Interior and Local Government got so much flak because of the holding of barangay assemblies the other week. A number of local officials blame the government agency for the holding of the activity wherein the People's Initiative was among the topics that were discussed. But why blame the agency for implementing something that has long been put into law? If and when the staff of the agency did push the signature campaign, do think they did this on their own? Isn't the agency just following orders from someone high up in the bureaucracy?

The holding of barangay assemblies is provided for in Chapter 6 Section 397 to 398 of the Local Government Code. The Code provides that barangay assemblies must be held "at least twice a year to hear and discuss the semestral report of the sangguniang barangay concerning its activities and finances as well as problems affecting the barangay." These meetings or assemblies, according to the same provision of the Local Government Code, are to be called by the barangay captain or at least four councilmen.

Aside from the Local Government Code, Presidential Proclamation No. 342, which was issued in 2003, also mandates that the holding of the barangay assembly be done every fourth Saturday of March and third Saturday of October.

It is very clear from the abovementioned provisions that it is not the DILG who calls for the barangay assemblies. Being forerunners of the Local Government Code, the agency is only tasked to assist in the holding of such meetings. So why blame the agency for the holding of the assemblies?

Now we go to the People's Initiative signature campaign.

Local chief executives also complained that DILG staff initiated the signature campaign for the People's Initiative when the agency is supposed to be non-partisan. Although DILG officials have already denied doing so and said their staff was only asked to help, do you think the DILG can do anything if the orders were from their higher ups? Can the agency just say no?

In an ideal set-up, government offices are supposed to be non-partisan. Ideally. But in a complex, corrupt political system like ours, we can never really say that government offices are non-partisan. If indeed the allegations of some local government officials are true that the DILG was used to push the People's Initiative, then there is really nothing new. This is not the first time that a government agency was used to advance the cause of the people in power. So what's all the fuss about?

It is unfair for local government officials to blame an agency that is just doing its job. If these government officials have complaints, then they better address it to the people who gave the orders and not gang up on the frontrunners who were just following orders.