Arnold Sope: A Case Study

Discussion

             We went the Municipality of Alabel, the seat of provincial government of Sarangani, in order to meet a leader who is in public service for twenty years.

            Mr. Arnold Navarro Sope, a purok chairman in Purok 10-A (Sto. Niño), Poblacion, Alabel, Sarangani Province was serving his community as purok official for two successful decades. He was also a Barangay Tanod and Lupon Tagapamayapa of Barangay Poblacion. Mr.Sope was also a government employee of LGU-Alabel since 2016. Aside from this, he was also a private employee in a fish processing company in Alabel.

            Purok as the smallest political unit is consider as the basic foundation of the political institution in the Philippines. The Purok officials headed by the chairman of the purok is elected by the population within the purok.

            Mr. Sope entered politics as purok official because he want to help the people of his purok. He finished his elementary and secondary education in public schools. He was then active in student government council as vice-president during his high school days. This early exposure to govern people motivated him into politics as Purok Kagawad until he became chairman in 2002. As he reiterated, they file a candidacy in the barangay in order to qualify as candidate for officialdom in the purok. He won the election and until now he was still the purok chairman for almost twenty years, the longest compared to his predecessor.

            Before entering politics, he was plumber in the community cooperative water system and a packaging crew in ALSON’s Processing Plant, the largest company in Alabel owned by Alcantara Group of Company.

            We’ve asked him why the people elected him as purok chairman. “I guess the people voted me because they saw my public service… as Purok 10 is the biggest purok in terms of population among the twenty-five purok in Brgy. Poblacion.” he replied.

            When he entered politics and became a Purok Chairman, Mr. Sope was more motivated to serve his constituents. As he stated “To be recognized as chairman was really important because it only meant that the people respect and know me”

            No changes happened as he convey us about his interaction towards people, he often greet people even he didn’t know them in order to show that the chairman they voted is not only  upright but also caring. The title given to him as chairman never made him superior than the other people of the purok. People can always approach him as Arnold Sope and as the chairman he always willing to help them.

            In his action, he tell us he never say “No” to the people need help from him. “No one tell me that I was arrogant or haughty, I wanted not to offend instead be accommodating to each other in order to have understanding and unity and our purok will improve” Mr.Sope said. It is necessary if you was a public official specifically a chairman, you might have a wide range of understanding and must act upon your responsibility and obligation to the position you’ve held.

            “If you was a Purok Chairman, you should know to understand your people. Always put in mind, what is correct must be correct and what wrong is wrong. In deciding complaints in the purok, no friend, no cousins, no relatives. We should fulfil our duty and responsibility with honesty and integrity because the people chose us; an honourable and to be proud of.” he said.

            His edge or advantage compare to other previous chairman of his purok was about the projects he instituted since he became chairman.        According to him the smallest amount allocated to his projects is thirty thousand pesos. Among twenty-five purok in Poblacion, his purok had already a purok community stage, a basketball court and Purok Day Care Center. He also added the thirty-five streetlights in his purok are all lighted as well the streets were affable. He considered this projects as a legacy even after his chairmanship or to other extent. He hoped that the new generation; the youth particularly will appreciate the efforts and the projects he founded.

            As a chairman, he become comprehensible in a wide scope especially in interacting many kinds of people and he learned to admit his mistakes and limitation as a chairman. His responsibility as chairman revolved inside his purok, to listen to the people’s need and gave solution to their questions or problems. As chairman he visited the sick and dead constituents and seek help to higher politicians in barangay, municipality or in the provincial government.

            “To become a purok chairman was really difficult but at the same time full of bliss” he said. He was a father with four children. It is difficult for him to manage time for his family if there was big event in his purok. His responsibility was divided into his family and his purok. But at the same he felt happy serving the people of his purok, hearing thank you from them is a great pleasure. “Salamat, Chairman”, he said and smile. He expose to danger as chairman when he was electrocuted fixing the wirings in their basketball court that he felt his dying as he shared his unforgettable moment as chairman.

            A Purok Chairman has no salary. Purok chairmanship is voluntary or purely public service. Barangay Poblacion took responsible for all the chairman and designated those positions like Barangay Tanod, Barangay Health worker (BHW) and Lupon Tagapamayapa. Honorarium is given for their hard work as peace maker and unifying agent of the community. Honorarium means payment or a stipend.

            The position as Purok Chairman has no term limit. It only depend to the people’s choice if someone is still fit to handle such position as well as the willingness of incumbent chairman to run again for the position. Mr. Arnold Sope still serve as purok chairman because he think he can do more things for his purok and the people still elected him. According to him, there was time he ran to higher position in the government but he failed to win. He ran as Barangay Kagawad in 2010 but he failed due to the obvious reason; if you have no money in politics you would probably lose. He added “Sa larangan ng politika accepted na po natin na kung wala kang pera hindi ka mananalo. Kung wala kang bigas, wala kang pera, wala kang ipamimigay sa mga tao para iboto ka hindi ka talaga mananalo kahit gaano karami ang iyong mga relatives…”

            Mr. Arnold Sope was also a tanod and lupon tagapamayapa of Baranagay Poblacion. Lupon Tagapamayapa (Peace Council) was judicial tribunal in the barangay. They tried to settled problem in case if the Punong Barangay can’t handle such problem. The memorable part of his calling as Lupon Tagapamayapa was when both parties, the complainant and the respondent wept because the council resolved the conflict between this two parties. Both of them engage in amicable settlement or the resolution of the complaint. It was happy to see people making way to unite others.

             In 2016, he was hired by LGU-Alabel as meter reader in Alabel Water District. As government employee for almost a year, he experience to be insult by some residents in relation to his work in government especially in giving water bill to consumers. But he understand it because according it is part of his job; that is public service.

            As Purok Official and government employee he believe that current government done great step to attain progression specifically in Alabel as the provincial capital town. But he also perceived some weaknesses particularly in his projects that take too long before the approval. He cited the program of works that take long in the bureaucratic process in various government offices. For him the government was effective yet the actions seems too slow. He believed that change is coming but it’s too slow for us to realize immediately.

            The inequality in the political institution rose because of the vested interest of the few. Good projects become rare but the allocation of funds is there. The wrongdoing of some led us to the idea that politics is dirty yet not all politicians is corrupt or fraudulent.

            As he gave the bottom line of his superb experience as Purok chairman, Mr. Sope told us “Dapat malawak ang pag-unawa mo, malawak ang pag-iisip …magaling umunawa sa problema ng mga tao dahil ikaw ang nilalapitan, tanggapin mo ang mga problema nila at bigyan mo ng solusyon.”

            The power vested to any person to act as a leader whether mayor, governor, senator or even Purok Chairman must be fulfil seriously. Power to lead to people is a privilege.