BAGUIO CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government–Cordillera (DILG-CAR) renewed its call to all civil society organization (CSO) representatives in the various local special bodies (LSBs) and local people’s councils (LPC) to refrain from engaging in any partisan political activities ahead of the 2025 Midterm Elections.
“We are sternly reminding our local government units’ CSO partners that engaging in or using your respective organizations for any partisan political-related activities is a ground for revocation of your accreditation,” DILG-CAR Regional Director Araceli A. San Jose said.
The DILG-CAR chief explained that DILG Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2022-083, the policy outlining the guidelines for 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.
Meanwhile, LPCs are likewise warned of the same as Section 6.4 of DILG MC No. 2021-054 states that the Sanggunian may revoke the recognition of the LPC if the Council or its members partake in such partisan political activities.
Activities of these nature 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 that local government units (LGUs), in coordination with their respective DILG field offices, may establish their own mechanisms in addressing non-compliance of CSOs to the said provisions. She also enjoined citizens to report any cases of CSOs representatives in the concerned bodies engaging in partisan political activities to their LGUs’ CSO Desks.
“We are reminding our CSOs to be impartial and to maintain their autonomy to ensure that the people’s interest is ultimately upheld in our local governments,” RD San Jose concluded. By RJMV/DILG-CAR
