Senate, House agree to postpone Barangay and SK polls to 2017

Published August 30, 2016 3:51pm

Updated August 30, 2016 4:21pm
By XIANNE ARCANGEL, GMA News
The Senate and the House of Representatives have agreed to reset the Barangay
and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to 2017.
Both chambers agreed to move the Barangay and SK elections from the scheduled
October 31, 2016 to October 23, 2017.
During the caucus held at the House Tuesday, Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Farias
said they will file a bill postponing the upcoming elections to next year. The Senate
will file a similar measure as well.
Dapat resolution lang [ang ipa-file] but since the Senate is filing a bill, well file a
bill also with the aim in view of avoiding a bicameral conference committee, he
said.
Farias said the Senate originally wanted to hold the Barangay and SK polls on the
last Monday of October 2017 but the senators, led by committee on suffrage
chairperson Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, agreed to the Houses proposal for the
elections to be conducted on October 23 since the October 30 will be too close to All
Saints Day.
He said he expects the bill on the postponement of Barangay and SK polls to be
approved swiftly following its referral to the committee on suffrage and electoral
reforms during Tuesdays session.
Farias said the measure could be approved on second reading at the House either
on September 5 or 6, and on third and final reading on September 12.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) earlier said it is mulling the idea of moving
for the postponement of the Barangay and SK elections, noting that it may cause
"election fatigue" as the country had its national and local elections in May.
President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed support for the postponement due to fears
that "drug money" would be used to fund campaigns.
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, meanwhile, said the Barangay and SK polls would
have to be deferred to allow the President to appoint government officials and
reorganize the bureaucracy.
The Omnibus Election Code prohibits the appointing authority from appointing new
employees, creating new positions, promoting employees, and giving salary

increases at least 45 days before a regular election and 30 days prior to the conduct
of special polls.
The Comelec has already suspended the printing of ballots for the Barangay and SK
elections in line with Duterte and Congress' agreement to postpone it to next year.
ALG, GMA News
- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/579466/news/nation/senatehouse-agree-to-postpone-barangay-and-sk-polls-to-2017#sthash.OfXJBHS1.dpuf

The Senate would finalize the bill postponing the Barangay and Sangguniang
Kabataan (SK) elections next week, Senate President Aquilino Koko Pimentel III
yesterday said.
We were not able to finalize the bill postponing the Barangay elections. Not yet,
but we are confident that by Monday we will finish the process, and then add three
more days for the third reading, so we are confident that within the first week of
September, or the first 10 days of September we would have the bill passed in the
Senate, Pimentel said in an interview at the sidelines of the 6th Philippine Solar
Summit and Exhibition 2016.
The Senate leader also assured that they would take into account the observations
of those who are objecting to the postponement.
But the question here is wisdom it is a question of wisdom because the
Constitution says that the term of office of barangay officials is determined by law.
That means that Congress can change the law, he added.
Pimentel also allayed fears the Senate is bent on abolishing grassroots elections,
saying the Upper Chamber is committed to a one-year deferment to ensure that the
barangay and SK election would retain its relevance and be more inclusive.
Remember this is not about abolition. Let me make it clear, this is not about
abolition. The proposal is for deferment of the elections for a period of one year. So
please dont worry, Pimentel said.

Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/senate-to-finalize-postponement-of-barangayand-sk-elections/#wWZBKOTD0MsgE00x.99

Barangay, Sangguniang Kabataan polls reset to 2017

By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) | Updated August 31, 2016 - 12:00am
2 532 googleplus1 0
Senators and congressmen yesterday agreed to postpone the barangay and
Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections for one year.
MANILA, Philippines Senators and congressmen yesterday agreed to postpone the
barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections for one year.
Twenty-two senators signed the committee report recommending the postponement
of the elections for one year.
Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate committee on local government,
delivered his sponsorship speech on the bill yesterday, the first committee report
taken up by the Senate in the 17th Congress.
Angara said the postponement will allow more time for the full implementation of
the recently enacted SK Reform Act or Republic Act 10742.
In the House of Representatives, administration lawmakers agreed to move the
elections from Oct. 31, 2016 to Oct. 23, 2017.
They came to an agreement in an all-party caucus called by Speaker Pantaleon
Alvarez.
Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

They also concurred unanimously to the issuance of a consolidated bill that would
reset the political exercise and extend the terms of barangay officials by another
year.
Among the principal authors of the measure are House Majority Leader Rodolfo
Farias, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez and 13 other deputy speakers, including
former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former senator Pia Cayetano. Arroyo
represents Pampanga, while Cayetano represents Taguig.

Citizens Battle Against Corruption party-list Rep. Sherwin Tugna, chairman of the
House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, acknowledged the urgency of
acting on the measure since the elections are just two months away.
He has scheduled the first committee hearing on Sept. 5 and expressed optimism
that all concerned parties will make their sentiments known.
We assure our countrymen that the House is in constant communication with the
Commission on Elections (Comelec) with regard to the proposals on the
postponement of the upcoming barangay and SK elections, Tugna said.
Earlier, Suarez said he wanted Congress to give President Duterte the authority to
appoint barangay officials temporarily in lieu of elections while the governments
war on drugs continues.
He proposed that barangay officials be allowed to serve for two more years, or until
2018, as part of the cleansing process while Congress deliberates on pending
measures suspending the SK and barangay elections.
Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said the poll body prefers the elections to be
postponed to 2017 and not 2018 as the latter will be closer to the 2019 midterm
polls.
Earlier, Alvarez and other House members said they also prefer the abolition of
barangay councilors and SK and replace them with purok leaders.
But members of the House independent minority bloc, or the Legitimate 8, are
opposing the abolition of barangay councilors and SK.
In a press conference earlier yesterday, Reps. Edcel Lagman of Albay, Teddy
Brawner Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao and Emannuel Billones of Capiz said they see no
cogent reason for the abolition of the SK and barangay councils.
They also noted that the abolition runs counter to the enactment of the SK Reform
Act, which is supposed to strengthen the youth council representation and barangay
system.
But they agreed to postpone the conduct of the SK and barangay polls, provided
that the parameters for the postponement are clearly defined under either a bill or a
joint resolution, which happened yesterday afternoon.
Even the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) expressed support
for the postponement of elections.

We need a breather from too frequent elections and 2017 would be good, two
years before the midterm 2019 elections, outgoing PPCRV national chair Henrietta
de Villa said.
She also believed that there is a need to re-evaluate the SK with regard to its
purpose, goals, activities and relevance.
PPCRV is also recommending a revisit of the Barangay Law since many of the
barangay officials act as cabos of political parties and politicians, she added.
Postponing polls unconstitutional
But election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said postponing the barangay and SK polls
would be unconstitutional because it means prolonging the term of office of
barangay officials elected in 2013 without mandate from the people.
In a statement, Macalintal said any postponement of the elections is a subtle and
self-serving proposition to lengthen governance without a mandate from the
governed.
In a democracy, elected leaders can legally and morally justify their reign only by
obtaining the voluntary consent of the electorate, he noted, citing a 1997 ruling of
the Supreme Court on David vs Comelec.
Macalintal added that if barangay officials want to continue serving, they must get a
fresh mandate in the elections set on Oct. 31. Otherwise, the extension will result in
an unlawful governance as the same is clearly without the mandate and voluntary
consent of the electorate.
Remember that when we wrote their names in the ballots in the 2013 barangay
elections, our contract with them was only for three years without any condition.
There is nothing in the ballot which said that we agree to an extension of their term
if the law is amended, he said.
Likewise, extending their tenure of office will have a very absurd situation where
their tenure of office will be longer than the President, or the mayors or governors
who are supposed to be their superiors since the term of office of local elective
officials is only three years, he added.
NYC: Dont abolish SK
Meanwhile, National Youth Commission (NYC) chair Aiza Seguerra has urged
members of Congress not to proceed with the plan to abolish the SK, saying it would
disenfranchise the Filipino youth in governance.

The SK is a unique feature of Philippine democracy. It is the most concrete

expression of the constitutional mandate that encourages civic engagement among
young people. By providing this venue for young people to participate in
governance, we are investing in the next generation of effective local and national
leaders, the NYC chief said.
Appointed earlier this month by President Duterte, Seguerra said the new SK is
designed to be an effective and efficient governance mechanism that could help in
social development and the governments war on drugs. With Janvic Mateo, Sheila
Crisostomo, Perseus Echeminada, Evelyn Macairan

NEWSINFO / NATION
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Duterte backs postponement of barangay, SK elections
By: Nestor Corrales / @NCorralesINQINQUIRER.net / 08:28 PM August 26, 2016
duterte 3
President Rodrigo Duterte answers questions from reporters during his visit to the
wake of Senior Insp. Mark Gil Garcia at the Rizal Provincial Police Office in Taytay,
Rizal, on Aug. 24. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE/INQUIRER
President Rodrigo Duterte is backing the proposed postponement of the barangay
and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in October.
Speaking at the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Mindanao Command in Davao City,
Duterte said the election might be infiltrated with drug money if it pushes through.
Do you know the reason why I also agreed with some congressmen to postpone
the barangay elections? Do you know why? Because I am afraid that the drug
money will seep into the electoral process, he said in his speech.
ADVERTISEMENT
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has said that the SK polls have to be deferred to
allow Duterte to fill up vacancies in the government under his administration.
According to the Omnibus Election Code, an appointing authority is prohibited from
appointing new employees, creating new positions, promoting employees, and
giving salary increases at least 45 days before a regular election and 30 days before
a special election.

Other allies of Duterte have also favored the plans to postpone the elections to
2017.