SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews/30 Nov.) — Three of the city’s 54 villages in the city had not paid their election shares, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Surigao City said.
Despite notices for them to pay their election contribution last November 14, 2013 Barangays San Roque, Balibayon and Togbongon had failed to settle their share before the Nov. 27 grace period, according to city election officer Atty. Irish Novern A. Pasco.
Pasco said the contributions were intended to be used during the barangay elections which last Oct. 28.
He told MindaNews via text message Friday he had recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges through the legal department of the Comelec central office against these villages.
“We will be waiting for the subpoena which will be issued by our legal department to these villages,” he said.
Comelec Resolution No. 9739 mandates all barangays to submit their election contributions to the election officers amounting to 10 percent of the total Sangguniang Kabataan budget but not less than P10,000.
The collected amount will be used for the transportation allowance of the board of election tellers.
Under the law, Pasco said, barangay officials who fail to remit their election shares without justifiable reasons “shall be charged with an election offense pursuant to Section 51 of the Omnibus Election Code, in addition to proper administrative action and other crimes for which the local government official or person concerned may be liable for.”
The original deadline was October 18 during which 11 villages either partially paid or did not pay, he said.
MindaNews tried to contact the chairs of these barangay to no avail. (Roel N. Catoto/MindaNews)