THE House of Representatives’ committee on suffrage and electoral reforms on Monday approved the measure postponing the Oct. 23, 2017 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to May 14, 2018.
Voting 19-2, the committee, chaired by Cibac party-list Rep. Sherwin Tugna, passed the measure by a 19-2 vote.
The approval of the proposed postponement of village and youth polls followed an all-party caucus last week where lawmakers agreed to hold the barangay elections in time for the Charter change plebiscite and the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law in May next year.
The committee will consolidate several bills filed by House members for plenary action soon.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs and author of House Bill 5359 which seeks to postpone the twin polls, welcomed the approval of the measure at the committee level.
“We hope Malacañang will certify the bill as urgent to make this possible,” Barbers said.
In the Senate, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III on Monday said charges should be filed against barangay officials included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s list of drug personalities, especially with the proposal to postpone the barangay election.
Saying there must be an expedited procedure to act on the list, Pimentel said the charges should be filed since “we are always referring to a list and yet, we ignore the list.”
“We act on the list,” said Pimentel, who said the Executive branch must act to charge the said barangay officials.
“And then the succession rules. If the [barangay] captain was removed because of involvement in drugs, the first councilman will replace the barangay captain,” said Pimentel, president of the ruling PDP-Laban.
By postponing the October barangay elections, House majority floor leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas earlier said the incumbent village officials would be retained in a holdover capacity.
Aside from Barbers’ bill, HB 5361 and 5380 were filed by Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco and ANAC-IP party-list Rep. Jose Panganiban Jr., respectively.
The bills were titled “An Act Postponing The October 2017 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, Amending For the Purpose Republic Act 9164, As Amended By RA 9340, RA 10656 and RA10923, Prescribing Additional Rules Governing The Conduct Of Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections And For Other Purposes.”
Both HB 5359 and 5361 provide for the amendment of Section 1 of RA 9164, as amended by RA 9340, RA 10656 and RA 10923.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte alleged that 40 percent of all barangay captains were involved in illegal drugs.
He previously said he was considering appointing barangay captains, instead of pushing through with the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls scheduled in two months.
