Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said Wednesday the barangay and Sanggunian Kabataan elections should be moved from May 2020 to May 2021.
During a hearing of the Senate committee on electoral reforms, Drilon said holding the polls in May 2021 was “reasonable” as it would allow incumbent barangay and SK officials to complete their term of three years, as stated under the Local Government Code.
He said it was also in line with the request of the Commission on Elections that the barangay and SK polls be held at least one year before or after the May 2022 national and local elections.
“If we postpone it and complete the three years of officials, it means the elections will be held in May 2021 which is one year before the May 2022 national elections,” Drilon said.
“We should allow the present barangay officials to complete their three-year term which ends on (sic) May 2021,” he added.
National President of Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas Eden Pineda appealed during the hearing that the May 2020 elections be postponed to allow incumbent barangay officials to implement their programs.
“If we’re going to have the elections next year, ito ang pinaka-shortest history of barangay elections which is only for two years,” Pineda said.
“We are just about to implement the programs for barangays and for a short period of time, nandito na naman sa elections. We could not concentrate more on the programs,” she added.
Isabela 6th District Rep. Faustino Dy argued that having the barangay and SK polls next year would be “costly” and “ineffective” for both the government and the barangay officials.
He noted that the barangays were currently conducting trainings to its officials and personnel and having the polls next year would run the “risk” of the replacement of the personnel if another barangay chairman was elected.
“A big focus will go to the elections rather than to the programs that need to implement,” said Drilon.
He also noted there was not enough time to prove to their constituents their program which will just start and may possibly end.
Meanwhile, COMELEC Commissioner Antonio Kho revealed the polling body was already in preparation to conduct a May 2020 elections.
However, should the polls be postponed, Kho requested that it should not be close to the May 2022 national and local elections.
“We request the Senate as well as the House that it [barangay and SK polls] should not be close to the elections on May 2022,” Kho said.
“A one year cap would be enough for us to prepare for the barangay and SK election,” he added.
The hearing tackled Senate Bill No. 201 and 222, which both seeks to postpone the barangay and SK elections.
Senate Bill 201, which is initiated by Senator Christopher Go, proposes that the polls be postponed to October 2022, while Senate Bill 222, initiated by Senator Imee Marcos, wants the elections to be held in May 2023.
Meanwhile, Marcos vowed to scrutinize and thoroughly study all the proposals from resource persons from various government agencies involved in the elections.