CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/13 Dec) – Despite criticisms for holding the election of the Association of Barangay Council (ABC) president in time for the coordinated national Barangay Assembly Day last Saturday, a new representative of the barangays will take his seat in the city council on Tuesday.
Barangay Camaman-an chairman Dometilo Acenas will take the 18th seat in the city council as the ABC representative in the 15th city council. Acenas got 75 votes out of the 75 barangay captains who attended the ABC elections Saturday.
The city has 80 barangays.
The election was marred by controversy as it coincided with the holding of the nationwide Barangay Assembly Day last Saturday in accordance with the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Memorandum Circular 2010-137 issued by Secretary Jessie Robredo last Oct. 26.
The Gising Barangay Movement (GBM) said that the holding of ABC elections last Saturday prevented the people from meeting with their duly elected Barangay Captain. The Barangay Assembly Day mandated barangay councils to consult their constituents’ proposed plans and programs to be implemented in the next three years.
DILG Memo Circular 2010-2012 mandates barangay councils to ensure that financial records of the barangay councils are transparent.
City DILG Director Emil Rana said that they have informed the barangay captains of the scheduled Barangay Assembly Day last Saturday but added that it is for the ABC federation to decide which day to hold
the election to choose who among them will represent the barangays in the city council.
Acenas will replace Aaron Neri of Barangay Macasandig. Neri had a falling out with Mayor Vicente Ema
no in the last election after he supported Emano’s rival, former 1st District Rep.
