Junk barangay execs’ term extension bill, President Marcos urged

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has been asked to reject a proposal to extend the terms of office of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials from three to six years.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said House Bill (HB) 11287 is unconstitional.

Macalintal made the appeal after the House of Representatives approved HB 11287 on second reading.

“Like its Senate version, this House version of the bill is also misleading, deceptive and unconstitutional. Its move to postpone the barangay and SK elections and extend the term of office is disguised as setting the tenure of these officials,” Macalintal said.

He said the proposal did not mention that the scheduled December 2025 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) would be postponed without any valid reason.

Macalintal said the measure circumvents the guidelines set by the Supreme Court in a case wherein the SC declared as unconstitutional the postponement of the BSKE in 2022.

He said the reasons cited by the House for the postponement neither involve government interest nor benefit the people.

“It violates people’s rights to choose their leaders through election. Here, the holdover provision for incumbent barangay and SK officials constitutes legislative appointments of these officials, in violation of the Constitution’s rule that they should be elected,” Macalintal said.

“They don’t have the mandate of the people. It is high time that we, the people, should rally against this intention of our legislators to deceive us,” he said.

HB 11287 states that the BSKE should be held every six years and on the second Monday of May starting in 2029. This makes the BSK officials’ term longer than the three years for congressmen, half of senators and the local government executives.Arrested gun ban violators now 535

Meanwhile, the number of people arrested for violating the nationwide gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has increased to 535, according to the Philippine National Police.

The PNP said up to 537 firearms, mostly revolvers and pistols, have been confiscated at Comelec checkpoints and other law enforcement operations.

Of those arrested, 510 are civilians including four foreigners who were apprehended in Metro Manila and Mimaropa. The PNP said 139 of the violators were arrested in Metro Manila.

Earlier, the PNP expressed alarm over the number of security guards arrested for violating the gun ban, which has climbed to 18 from 10 previously.

Col. Randulf Tuano, PNP public information officer, said the Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies has ordered security agencies to regularly remind their guards about the gun ban.

Tuano warned security guards that they risk losing their license if they are caught violating the ban.

The gun ban is intended to prevent poll-related violence and ensure peaceful elections in May. — Emmanuel Tupas