MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will prioritize the passage of four key bills, including the postponement of barangay elections to 2029, before the session adjourns, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino announced.
One of the measures the Senate is set to pass on final reading is Senate Bill 2816, a proposed law setting the term of office of barangay officials and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) members, which would grant officials an extended stay in office, Tolentino said.
The bill will specifically grant barangay and SK officials a six-year term in office and set the next barangay and SK elections (BSKE) to the second Monday of May 2029 and every six years thereafter.
Sen. Imee Marcos sponsored the measure in the aftermath of the 2023 Supreme Court (SC) decision that upheld Republic Act 11935, which reset the BSKE to Oct. 30, 2023 from Dec. 5, 2022.
Despite the ruling, the SC allowed the October 2023 BSKE elections to proceed, but noted that subsequent elections should be held on the first Monday of December 2025 and every three years thereafter, pursuant to Republic Act 11462, the predecessor of the now-outlawed measure.
The SC ruled as unconstitutional poll postponements that extend the term of BSK officials.
Another measure the Senate is set to pass on final reading is the modernization of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Tolentino emphasized the importance of modernizing Phivolcs following the eruptions of Kanlaon and Taal.
The two other bills up for approval are the amended Baguio City Charter and the proposed pension differentials for Department of Foreign Affairs employees.
The Senate will resume session on Jan. 13 and adjourn from Feb. 8 to June 1 to accommodate the 2025 midterm election period, which will commence on Jan. 12 and end on June 11, 2025.
Aside from these bills, Senate President Francis Escudero also expressed his intent to pass another measure before the end of the 19th Congress in June. This is the proposed government rightsizing law, which aims to streamline government offices, eliminate redundancies and improve efficiency to generate savings.
Exempted from the measure are the legislature, judiciary, constitutional commissions, the Office of the Ombudsman, local government units, military and uniformed personnel, as well as teaching-related positions in the education sector.