THE House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, chaired by Citizens Battle Against Corruption party-list Rep. Sherwin Tugna, who chairs the panel, steered the approval of House Bill 3384—the measure was principally authored by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, along with 11 other bills seeking the postponement—to push reforms in the present barangay system.
“There has been no substantial changes,” Tugna told reporters after the bill’s approval.
The proposed measure provides the next barangay elections after 2017 will be held on May 2020 and will not coincide with the May 2019 midterm polls, as provided in the 1987 Constitution.
Under the measure, the village chairmen and councilors will serve in a hold-over capacity in light of the postponement of the conduct of the said polls.
Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista attended the hearing. He said the approval of the measure was expected in accordance with the desire of President Duterte to defer the said polls.
For his part, Camarines Sur Rep. L-Ray Villafuerte urged the Commission on Elections to prepare for another round of voter registration, especially since Congress is bent on postponing the Oct. 31 barangay elections.