GIGANTES ISLANDS—Officials of Barangay Lantangan in the Municipality of Carles, Iloilo province, are now in a quandary after the Commission on Audit issued a “stop-payment order” for the barangay.
Because of the order, officials of the biggest of four barangays on the Gigantes Islands have not received their monthly honorarium since September 2016, while appointed barangay officials, which include tanod or watchmen, health workers and even bantay-dagat, have not received their honorarium for the months of September to December 2015 and September 2016 until February 2017.
Samuel Suguano Sr., a barangay kagawad of Lantangan, told the BusinessMirror in an interview the nonpayment of their honorarium is causing a sweeping demoralization and failure of governance.
“Other barangay kagawad and volunteers are already demoralized and are no longer functioning because of this,” Suguano said.
“Iyong ibang tanod at bantay-dagat namin, ayaw na mag-report. Pati iyong taga-linis ng kalat at basura, ayaw na rin mag-trabaho,” he said.
Blaming their punong barangay Jonas Bensurto and barangay treasurer Romeo Chao, Suguano said the betrayal of public trust inhibits the development of the barangay and prevents Gigantes-wide efforts to promote natural-resource conservation and protection, tourism management and health promotion.
Suguano is now appealing to Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno to step in to fix the problem.
Suguano said they have already sought the help of Municipal Mayor Siegfredo Betita and appealed to members of the Sangguniang Bayan, but to no avail.
In a letter dated March 3, 2017, Suguano wrote in behalf of other kagawad of Barangay Lantangan to expedite action on their complaint against their erring Punong Barangay.
He said that in 2015, concerned barangay officials had filed a complaint against Bensurto, which led to the official’s suspension.
However, he said the mayor carried out a one- month suspension instead of two months. The case was elevated to the Office of the Provincial Governor and the head of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the Province of Iloilo, but to no avail.
Suguano said officials of Barangay Lantangan are now holding regular monthly sessions in the absence of their Punong Barangay who declined to show up during the past three years.
People on Gigantes Islands are coming together to help the local government of Carles to draft the town’s sustainable-tourism plan to protect the islands known collectively as Isla Gigantes against the unregulated and unsustainable fishing, seashell gathering and tourism activities.