Vice President Leni Robredo is opposing another postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabayaan elections on Dec. 5 this year.
The presidential bet reasoned an election is a “democratic process where the people can make their voices heard.”
The postponement would only deprive the people to choose their leaders, Robredo said.
“The election is not just a simple installation of officials in a position, isn’t it? It is a democratic process to hear the voice of all. To postpone it anew would take a new law to be passed,” she said.
In November 2021, Davao Oriental Rep. Joel Almario filed a House Bill seeking the postponement of the barangay and SK elections to May 2024. He stressed the need for the continuity in the delivery of government services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Robredo called on Filipinos to get vaccinated as COVID-19 cases continue to escalate in the country, driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Robredo made a Facebook Live broadcast from Magarao, Camarines Sur, where she was observing the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) Vaccine Express.
At a time when the government is cracking down on the unvaccinated, Robredo reiterated her stand against strong arm tactics to convince people to get their shots.
Robredo has consistently highlighted her Vaccine Express program as an example of how vaccination programs can reach out to people reluctant to get their shots against COVID-19.
The Vaccine Express program is a volunteer driven OVP initiative that offers free COVID-19 vaccination and helps local government units who have vaccine supplies but lack qualified personnel to administer them to the public.
It also gives incentives such as bags of rice, relief packages, and health kits to encourage people to get vaccinated.
Aside from its vaccination program, OVP also has the teleconsulation program, Bayanihan E-Konsulta, and its free antigen testing Swab Cab project as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.