DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 31 October) – The newly-elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan leaders must be more proactive in finding solutions to environmental issues, particularly in addressing the global concern on climate crisis, a Davao City-based environmental group said.
Atty. Mark Peñalver, executive director of the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), told MindaNews on Tuesday that they expect the newly-elected leaders to be knowledgeable not only about environmental concerns within their areas of jurisdiction but also their functions and mandate under the Local Government Code and other laws.
“With the conclusion of the BSKE (Barangay and SK elections) and, as we await the announcement of those who are given the privilege and responsibility to lead their barangays and the youth sector, we expect the newly-elected barangay and SK leaders to be more proactive especially on issues affecting the environmental situation within their jurisdiction,” he added.
He said that they expective more proactive participation of the barangay local government units to mitigate the impact of climate crisis.
He hoped for the barangay government units in the city to strictly enforce Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, the Watershed Code Ordinance, and the No to Single-Use Plastics Ordinance of 2021.
Last October 25, the environmental group called on voters to elect leaders who “uphold the values of responsibility and integrity,” after candidates in Barangay Talomo Proper and Barangay Bangkal posted campaign materials on trees in violation of the rules set by the Commission on Elections.
According to the poll body, illegal campaign “includes violation of the standard size of posters, tarpaulins, and other campaign paraphernalia set at two by three feet, and the posting of materials in illegal spaces not included in common poster areas like trees, electric wires, and electric posts, among others.”
“It’s important for us, as voters, to be mindful of candidates who do not follow these election regulations and to choose individuals who demonstrate respect for the rules governing the electoral process,” it said. (Antonio Colina IV / MindaNews)
