House panel OKs postponement of Barangay, SK polls

The House of Representatives' committee on suffrage and electoral reforms approved on Tuesday a proposal to postpone the October 31 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

In a unanimous vote, the panel endorsed House Bill 3384 for plenary approval. Some amendments, however, were made to the measure before it was passed.

The bill, which was filed by House leaders led by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, seeks to reset the upcoming polls to October 23, 2017.

Committee chair Cibac party-list Rep. Sherwin Tugna said the bill is likely to be approved by the House on third and final reading next week since he wants it passed on second reading on Wednesday.

Every 3 years

Among the key changes made to the measure include holding the barangay and SK polls on May every three years following the October 2017 elections.

The panel, however, retained the holdover provision, which states that all incumbent barangay and SK officials shall remain in office unless sooner removed or suspended for cause until their successors shall have been elected.

Alvarez earlier said postponing the barangay and SK elections will give the Commission on Elections more time to prepare its personnel and resources for the next polls.

President Rodrigo Duterte has also expressed support for the postponement due to fears that "drug money" would be used to fund the campaigns.

Commission on Elections chairman Andres Bautista said the 400,000 ballots that have been printed for the upcoming polls will be used next year although the poll body is still uncertain how to change the date that has already been printed on it.

Although the Comelec has spent some P200 million out of the P7 billion set aside for the barangay and SK elections, Bautista assured that there are enough funds when the polls are held next year.

"Gagamitin natin yung [pondo ngayon] para sa susunod na halalan. It's a continuing appropriation. Sapat pa naman ang pondong nandyan para sa halalan," he said. —ALG, GMA News