Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) – Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said he wrote to Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia to clarify conflicting resolutions of the poll body on whether or not barangay officials can participate in the charter-change (Cha-cha) signature campaign.

This is after Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Felicito Valmocina warned village officials on Saturday not to campaign for Cha-cha through the People’s Initiative.

Valmocina and Abalos both clarified afterwards that this was just the former’s opinion and not the agency’s official stance.

READ: Village officials warned against participating in Cha-cha signature drive

In a press conference on Monday, Abalos cited a Comelec en banc resolution dated April 8, 2022, which exempted barangay officials from a prohibition on participating in bipartisan political activities as stipulated in Omnibus Election Code Section 261.

However, he also pointed out the existence of a 2016 joint circular between the Comelec and the Civil Service Commission which appears to contradict the 2022 resolution.

Abalos, citing the 2016 document, said: “The following persons are excluded from the coverage of the prohibition against engaging in electioneering – president, vice president, members of the Cabinet, other elective officials, except barangay officials.”

The interior chief said the Comelec needs to verify which prohibition would apply.

Garcia, in an interview on Monday, said: “Yung sa amin kasi pagpasok lang ng campaign period ng Comelec. Pagka walang campaign period syempre ang kapangyarihan at ang jurisdiction ay nasa DILG.”

[Translation: It only falls under us if it is within the campaign period of Comelec. If not, the power and jurisdiction falls under DILG.]

He said the Comelec was waiting for the DILG’s letter before anything else but added that other government agencies, and not the poll body, had jurisdiction over barangay officials.