It’s been a week since Lagunenses have decided on who will lead their barangays and Sangguniang Kabataan for the next two years (since the Commission on Elections said the next barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are now scheduled to be held in 2025).
Chances are in most barangays, most candidates and supporters – except in certain areas in our province where tensions flared during election day – are wont to bury the hatchet and resume their friendships.
It should be noted that the same reason barangay elections have been watched with concern in some areas in our country – that it’s more “personalan” than national and local elections – is also what makes the outcome relatively peaceful in other areas.
After all, no matter how heated rivalries have become in the weeklong campaign, the fact is that neighbors are still neighbors who can be counted upon in times of need.
But lest we forget (especially for those with barangays whose leadership was replaced), we need to exercise more our right and duty as citizens to uphold the spirit of public transparency and accountability.
Whether your barangay gets a new captain and councilors, or the incumbent retained his or her place, there’s no room for complacency here. In fact, since we knew our barangay officials more than our local or national officials, we should always keep a close eye on the state of affairs of our barangays even after the elections.
Elections in the Philippines, as they say, are often prepared way in advance – often even as the final votes are being counted.
And two years should be enough time for us to see whether we made the right choice in our barangays.
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