Comelec chief Brillantes: SK postponement to 2016 'most logical'

Published September 11, 2013 12:37pm

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) prefers to postpone the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls to 2016 as it is set after the next presidential elections, Comelec chief Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Wednesday.

"Sa 2014, malabo 'yun. Wala kaming budget for an election. Sa 2015, masyadong malapit sa 2016 presidential elections," Brillantes told reporters.

"Talagang pinaka-logical sa October 2016," he added.

Brillantes said they met with the House committee on electoral reforms on Tuesday and that more or less the Comelec proposals were carried out.

"Our assessment is that... most probably mapo-postpone na ang SK elections," the poll chief said.

Brillantes said postponing the SK elections would give them more time to decide on moves to finally abolish the SK, which he believes is a "breeding ground" for corruption.

"Ang consensus talaga, i-postpone na. Wala namang achievement, walang performance, sayang ang pera. (Nagiging) breeding ground lang for graft and corruption," he said.

"We want to postpone it and see what will happen. Kapag nakapag-function ang barangay without an SK, we will try to work for its abolition. Kung kailangan, then we will have the elections in 2016," Brillantes added.

On Tuesday, the Senate approved on second reading a bill seeking to postpone the SK polls to October next year.

The House is also expected to submit a bill postponing the SK.

The Marcos administration created the SK in 1975 to give the youth a definite role in community affairs and to provide the government a means to tap the youth in its development efforts.

According to the Local Government Code, the SK is composed of a chairperson, seven members, a secretary and treasurer. The SK chair and members have a term limit of three years. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab/RSJ, GMA News

Tags: comelec, sixtobrillantes, skelections