Postponement of barangay, SK polls sought

MANILA, Philippines - A senior lawmaker is pushing for the postponement of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections scheduled this October to 2014.

Bohol Rep. Rene Relampagos said he intends to re-file in the 16th Congress House Bill 6198, which seeks to reset the date of the synchronized elections to October 2014.

Relampagos said he is pushing for the postponement because the elections in the barangay level and SK will definitely need a substantial amount of government budgetary allocation.

“The billions of pesos that will be saved in this barangay and SK elections can definitely be utilized by the state for various worthwhile projects and programs for the improvement of the quality of life of the Filipinos,” Relampagos said.

“Furthermore, it has been argued that the present three-year term of the barangay official is not adequate to guarantee that the projects of the barangay are properly implemented, hence an extension would be practical to make certain that these programs and projects initiated by the barangay will be appropriately carried out and would come to its completion,” he added.

Under the bill, the proposed term of office of all barangay and SK officials shall be five years and shall commence at noon of Nov. 30 following their election.

The measure amends Republic Act 9340, otherwise known as “An Act Amending Republic Act 9164, Resetting the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, and for other Purposes.”

Some 12 similar bills were also filed separately in the 15th Congress. The measures were referred to the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms.

Meanwhile, Valenzuela City Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo has pushed for the passage of a bill abolishing the SK for its failure to achieve its main objectives.

Gunigundo said that instead of molding the youth for meaningful governance, SK “has become a tool for their exploitation by unscrupulous politicians.”

“(The government) cannot entrust power and public funds to teenagers aged 15 to 17 years old who are just beginning to learn what responsibility and accountability are all about,” Gunigundo added.

He also noted that the youth should be given ample time to prepare and gradually realize what is behind the world they are entering.

For his part, Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said there is a need to introduce reform measures to the current SK system. Congress should amend the Local Government Code of 1991 that created the SK.