Barangay, SK polls postponement bill ready for enactment

The bill postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections is now ready for signing into law.

The Senate and the House of Representatives ratified yesterday the bicameral conference report of Senate Bill 1043 and House Bill 4933.

“Ratification of the bicameral conference report is of utmost importance,” Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said.

The measure postpones the elections set in May 2020 to 2022.

Sen. Imee Marcos, chairperson of the Senate committee on electoral reforms, said the bill sets the barangay and SK elections on Dec. 5, 2022 then on the first Monday of 2025 and every three years thereafter.

Marcos initially proposed that newly elected barangay and SK officials shall assume office on Jan. 31, but the chamber adopted the proposal of Minority Leader Franklin Drilon for officials to assume office on Jan. 1.

”There is no reason for a long gap in the resumption of office,” Drilon said.

Once signed into law, the barangay and SK elections will be held six months after the presidential and national elections.

It will be the third postponement of the barangay and SK elections since 2016.

Congress postponed the elections twice before a new set of officials were elected in 2018, allowing incumbent officials to stay in office for five years.

The President sought the postponement of the barangay and SK polls in his State of the Nation Address in July, saying barangay officials should be given more time to finish their programs and projects.