Wenceslao Empas Apa

Wenceslao Empas Apa is the Punong Barangay currently leading Barangay Lanuro, part of the municipality of Hagonoy in Davao Del Sur, serving the 2023 - 2026 term. Under Philippine law, the Punong Barangay is directly elected by the residents of the barangay.

As the head of the smallest tier of Philippine local government, the Punong Barangay is responsible for everything from maintaining peace and order within the barangay to supervising the Barangay Development Plan, enforcing national and local laws within the barangay boundaries, and representing residents in the wider city or municipal government. The position is held for a four-year term under Republic Act No. 12232.

Barangay Lanuro is one of 21 barangays in the municipality of Hagonoy, in the province of Davao Del Sur, in the Davao Region region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, Barangay Lanuro had a population of 1,226 residents — the constituency that Wenceslao serves as Punong Barangay. Davao Del Sur is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance.

Wenceslao Empas Apa was elected to office in the most recent Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), which took place on October 30, 2023. Under Republic Act No. 12232, barangay officials elected in 2023 serve four-year terms, meaning the current mandate runs until 2026. The next BSKE is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, per COMELEC Resolution No. 11191.

As an elected Philippine public official, Wenceslao Empas Apa is accountable to the residents of Barangay Lanuro and must comply with the Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160), the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713), and other national laws. Barangay officials are required to file Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) and are subject to the oversight of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Office of the Ombudsman.