House OKs bill postponing barangay, SK polls to May 2018

The House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading the measure postponing the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections from October 23, 2017 to the second Monday of May 2018.

With a vote of 213 in the affirmative, 10 in the negative and zero abstentions, the chamber approved House Bill 6308, which consolidated five other bills and one resolution of the same purpose.

Under the measure, incumbent barangay officials will be on hold-over positions until they are replaced by their successors after the elections.

Subsequent elections will also be held on the second Monday of May 2020 and every three years thereafter.

Voting against the bill were members of the Makabayan bloc, ACT Teachers party-list Representatives Antonio Tinio and France Castro, Gabriela Women's Party Representative Arlene Brosas, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate, Anakpawis party-list Representative Ariel Casilao and Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Elago.

Also voting no were Akbayan party-list Representative Tom Villarin, Cebu City Representative Raul Del Mar, Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano and Siquijor Representative Raul Rocamora.

In explaining her vote, Brosas said the public should be given the opportunity to remove barangay captains who may be using drug money to manipulate the elections.

President Rodrigo Duterte has pushed for the postponement of barangay elections and replace incumbent officials with appointive officers-in-charge, as he alleged that 40 percent of the barangay captains nationwide are involved in illegal drugs.

"Hindi po naiintindihan ng representasyong ito kung bakit kailangang patayin ng kapulungang ito ang karapatan ng bawat mamamayan na magdesisyon na palitan o hindi ang mga namumuno sa kanila sa barangay level," Brosas said.

"Wala po ba tayong tiwala sa mga mamamayan na palitan nila ang mga sinasabi nating bulok at kasama sa illegal drug trade? Bakit po natin tinatanggi sa mamamayan ang karapatang magpasya? " she added.

Brosas said if there is enough proof showing the involvement of these barangay captains in the illegal drug trade, cases should be filed against them.

"Hayaan at pahintulutan natin ang mga sangay ng gobyerno na gumana at gawin ang tungkulin nila sa paghuli at pagpapanagot sa mga lumabag sa batas," she said.

Castro, for her part, said the postponement of the elections is a travesty of the democracy. "Kailangang mamili ang mamamayan ng kanilang leader at karapatang bumoto ng mga taong mamumuno sa kanila," she said.

Zarate said the postponement of the elections shows disrespect to the barangay as the basic unit of political structure in the society.

"This decision infringes on the right to suffrage of Filipinos and deprives of the right to replace unworthy leaders in their barangays," he said.

Tinio, on the other hand, said the approval of the law has already deprived Filipinos of their right to choose their leaders twice, as the barangay elections have earlier been postponed from October 2016 to October this year.

"Hindi natin po mapapahintulutan na sa ikalawang beses ay tatanggalan sa pinaka-batayang karapatan sa isang demokrasya ang ating taumbayan," he said.

The Senate has yet to approve a similar bill filed by Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, who wants the SK and barangay elections held in October 2018.

The Senate, meanwhile, has yet to approve a similar bill filed by Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, who wants the SK and barangay elections held in October 2018.

Last June, Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said they will wait for the House to act on the proposed measure first before deciding on Sotto's bill. —KBK, GMA News