Bill rescheduling barangay, SK polls for the 5th time clears House hurdle
MANILA, Philippines — House lawmakers approved Tuesday a measure postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls for another year.
Initially scheduled for December this year, House Bill 4673, if enacted into law, will move the barangay and SK elections to December 4, 2023.
The legislation was approved on its third and final reading to the tune of 264 affirmative votes and only six no votes. Three congressmen abstained.
This came on the heels of a recent report by the Commission on Elections recently that it is "70% done and in full swing with the preparations despite proposals to postpone the BSKE elections" and “all systems go in procurement offices to ensure that ballots will be printed."
Rep. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela), who voted no, argued that the bill "subverts the constitutional provision on the regular conduct of local elections and the people’s right to elect a new set of local leaders."
The progressive Makabayan bloc pointed out that the polls for barangays and SKs have been repeatedly delayed since 2016, then October 2017, and again to May 2018, eventually being rescheduled for a fourth time to December 2022.
"The officials sitting in power since 2016 are still sitting until now," Brosas said in Filipino. "It is essential for the Filipino people to exercise their right to vote and elect a local official that will truly serve them."
House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro (ACT Teachers) agreed with Brosas, calling the planned postponement "unjustifiable."
"There is no such thing as election fatigue," Castro said in mixed Filipino and English. "This is not a postponement of election, but postponement of democracy and the voice of the people."
Should the polls be rescheduled for a fifth time in a row, some P18 billion will be allotted for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections next year, almost twice the P8.45 billion to be spent if the polls would happen this year.
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