Imee Marcos floats idea of extending incumbent barangay officials' term

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) — Senatorial aspirant Imee Marcos on Wednesday proposed extending the term of incumbent barangay officials.

She was part of the 13-man senatorial slate of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago for the 2019 midterm elections. The regional political party of presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio wooed voters in Mariveles, Bataan on Wednesday.

Marcos asked barangay officials in the audience if they want to serve longer than what is prescribed in the law.

"Sa ating mga barangay (officials), gusto ba ninyong umupo ng buong tatlong taon o tatanggalin na sa susunod na taon? Tatlong taon, hindi po ba? Gusto ba ninyong i-extend pa ng konti pa? Hanggang 2023? Yes!" she said.

The officials who won in the May 2018 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections will only serve until May 2020, instead of the three years mandated by the law due to the resetting of polls.

The Ilocos Norte governor said that serving for decades might be possible for the barangay officials if her father, former President Ferdinand Marcos, was still in power.

"Kung sa tatay ko 'yan, 21 anyos, wala pang eleksyon. Pero palagay ko hindi na maaari," Marcos said.

The late strongman placed the Philippines under martial law for 21 years. During his reign, he appointed Imee as the national chair of the now-defunct Kabataang Barangay.