The Department of the Interior and Local Government Cordillera reminded all civil society organization representatives in the various local special bodies (LSBs) and local people’s councils (LPC) in the region to refrain from engaging in any partisan political activities as the country gears up for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections this October 2023.
“We are reminding our CSOs that engaging or using your respective organizations for any partisan political-related activities is a ground for revocation of your accreditation,” DILG-CAR Director Araceli A. San Jose said.
Section 4.9.1.4 of DILG Memorandum Circular 2022-083, which provides the guidelines for the accreditation of CSOs and selection of representatives to the LSBs, explicitly prohibits CSOs “from engaging primarily in, or utilizing their organization primarily for, partisan political activities.”
LPCs are likewise warned as Section 6.4 of DILG MC 2021-054 states the sanggunian may revoke the recognition of the LPC if the council or its members partake in such partisan political activities.
Such activities are, but not limited to, the explicit promotion of election or defeat of any candidate or political party, soliciting votes for a certain candidate, or mobilizing the organization for the sole purpose of electioneering.
San Jose reiterated pursuant to DILG MC 2022-083, all LGUs, in coordination with their respective DILG field offices, may establish their own mechanisms in addressing non-compliance of CSOs to the said provisions. – Press release
