Elected kap accuses rival of ignorance

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – A newly elected barangay chairman here blamed the ignorance of his rival on how to run a village as based on laws.
Re-elected Lucao Punong Barangay (village chief) Marcelino Fernandez exposed the lack of knowledge by his lone opponent when the latter promised to the 4,700 voters that 50 percent of the budget yearly will be used to purchase a lot where a barangay hall will be erected and the following 50 percent of the next year’s budget will be for the construction of the edifice.

“He did not know how to govern a village,” Fernandez, who is the ex-officio councilor of this city, assailed rival Gerry Claveria.

He said 55 percent of the yearly general funds of the barangay goes to salaries of the officials, ten percent for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK or Youth Council) funds, five percent for Calamity Funds, five percent for Senior Citizen’s fund, 20 percent is Development Fund where projects like construction of building and purchase of lot are taken.

The yearly revenue of Lucao, the No. 4 biggest village in this 31 barangays’ city, is more than nine million pesos.

The Local Government Code of 1991 says that the total annual appropriations for personal services of a barangay for one (1) fiscal year shall not exceed fifty-five percent (55%) of the total annual income actually realized from local sources during the next preceding fiscal year.

“The IRA (Internal Revenue Allotment) P7 million, Real Property Taxes are more than P1 million. Garbage fees from households and business establishments and clearances are more than P1 million. All in all more than P9 million,” he cited the funds that entered the coffer of his village yearly.

Fernandez hit the campaign promise of Claveria that he would not bill each of the household owners of P50 to P60 monthly of their garbage collected by the village's officials.

“Kung hindi siya maniningil ng basura saan niya kukunin ang salaries ng garbage collectors, street sweepers namin?” he posed.

The re-elected Chairman, who is the President of the League of Barangays here, said as village chief he and each of his Kagawads or Council Members receive a monthly honorarium of P21, 000 and P16, 000, respectively.