PBBM: Barangay leaders crucial in nat’l polls
PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday stressed the crucial role played by barangay officials in the local and national political dynamics, saying they serve as the links between the people and national elective leaders.
In an interview after he cast his vote at Precinct 0036A, Cluster Number 0036A at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Elementary School (MMMES) in Lacub, Batac City, the President pointed out that elected barangay officials are the ones who directly interact and know the people on the ground and could help determine the people’s choices.
“All the elected officials, it’s the barangay officials who can actually tell you ,‘I will deliver this many votes.’ Kapag sinabi ng ibang barangay na magde-deliver ako sa’yo ng 350 votes dito sa aking barangay, asahan mo, 350 ‘yun, totoo ‘yun (All the elected officials, it’s the barangay officials who can actually tell you, ‘I will deliver this many votes.’ If a barangay official says I can deliver 350 votes from my barangay, you can expect the 350 to be true),” he said.
“Kaya’t napakahalaga ng resulta nito para sa aming mga politiko, napakahalaga ng resulta ng barangay elections. And that’s why ang sa aming assessment ay kung minsan nagiging napakainit ang barangay election dahil talagang crucial iyan at it is held at the very intimate, personal level (That’s why, for us politicians, the results of the barangay elections are important. That’s why in our assessment, barangay elections become heated because it is crucial and it is held at the very intimate, personal level),” he added.
This is the reason, the President said, why Filipinos should exercise their right to suffrage and not waste their vote by engaging in vote buying.
Saying he has received reports of vote buying in some areas, including in Ilocos Norte, Marcos said: “Ang aking payo lang sa ating mga kababayan ay ‘wag niyo naman itatapon ang inyong karapatan na makapili ng inyong mga barangay official dahil alam niyo naman po na ang mga barangay official ang mga kaharap ninyo araw-araw, ito ang mga tinatakbuhan n’yo para makatulong sa inyong mga problema (My advice to my countrymen, not to throw away your right to choose your barangay officials because you know that
