BICAM Committee OKs comprise bill Brgy, SK polls moved to 2007

There will be no barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this year.

Instead, the next synchronized elections to fill up positions in both will be on the last Monday of October in 2007, a compromise date the bicameral conference committee of Congress agreed on yesterday.

Cebuano Reps. Eduardo Gullas and Raul del Mar, both members of the committee, told The Freeman separately that the development followed approval of a proposal to amend Republic Act 9164 which originally set the election for October 3 this year.

Both Gullas and del Mar said the new date of last Monday of October 2007 was a compromise between the Senate version which called for the election in 2006, and the House version which called for the election to be held in 2008.

The two solons said the compromise version adopted by the committee will still have to go to both houses for approval but they are confident the amended bill will pass.

Indeed, the House reportedly already adopted the compromise version approved by the committee yesterday afternoon and the two Cebuano legislators are confident the Senate will soon follow suit.

Gullas, in a press statement, said the committee agreed as well that ex-officio officers serving in the sangguning barangay, the sangguniang panlungsod and sangguniang bayan shall continue to serve until the last Monday of October 2007 and every three years thereafter.

Del Mar said this comes " without need of any further election. "

Cebu City Association of Barangay Councils president Eugenio Faelnar said it does not matter when the elections will be held but several barangay captains would rather have barangay elections in consonance with local electionss so they will be spending less.

This is the second time the barangay polls were postponed. The first time was in 2000 owing to scant financial resources. The last synchronized barangay and SK elections were held on July 17, 2002.

Senator Richard Gordon said both chambers of Congress have ironed differences in the original conflicting bills.

The committee report still needs the approval of the entire Congress before it is implemented. With the deferment of the polls, Gordon said the Senate and the House can now concentrate on nation-building issues. - with Philippine Star.com