.. 
Ni ESTONG REYES
PARA kay Senador Imee Marcos, hindi sapat ang tatlong taong panunungkulan ng mga punong barangay.
Sa isang panukala, partikular na isinusulong ni Sen. Marcos na palawigin ang termino ng mga barangay chairman sa anim na taon.
Sen. Imee Marcos has filed a bill seeking to set the term of office of all barangay officials to six years.
“The current term of three years for barangay officials is far too short for these officials to see their own projects through. It is unfortunate that because of their myriad duties and responsibilities, barangay officials often do not get the chance to formulate, develop, and implement their own policies and projects,” saad ng mambabatas na kapatid ng Pangulo.
Sa ilalim ng inihaing panukala, tinutulak din ng senador na dagdagan ang dalawang termino ng para sa mga punong barangay.
“Voluntary renunciation of office for any length of time shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of service for the full term for which the elective official was elected,” saad sa isang bahagi ng proposed bill ni Marcos.
“The next regular barangay elections shall be held on the last Monday of October 2029 and every six (6) years thereafter.”
Bukod aniya sa mas magiging epektibo ang pagganap ng mandato sa bisa ng mas mahabang termino, naniniwala rin aniya siyang malaki ang matitipid ng gobyerno kung kada anim na taon ang halalang pambarangay.
“An equally important reason to fix longer terms of office for barangay officials is to enable the national government to save billions of pesos.”
“For the barangay elections in 2023, the Comelec required a budget of around P18 billion. This upward trend in election costs will continue not only because of the general increase in the prices of election materials and manpower but also because of the possibility that even barangay elections will also be automated in the future,” aniya pa.
