MANY who are interested in the issue of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) have thrown in the towel and resigned to the fact that the delay will run up to the last Monday of October 2023. This is contained in the new measure, Republic Act 11935, which was signed by President Marcos Jr. recently.
The effect is all incumbent barangay and SK officials will remain in office until their successors are elected and qualified, or unless they are sooner removed or suspended.
Barangay and SK officials, who are ex officio members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod, or Sangguniang Panlalawigan, shall continue to serve as such members until the next BSKE, unless removed under existing rules.
‘… there is indeed a need to have closure on the issue of the series of postponements of the village and youth elections, which only stress the fact that that government has a very low regard for these basic units of governance.’
The BSKE would have been done this coming December 5. It is well to note that this is the fourth time since 2016 that the barangay elections were postponed; the first three times were under the Duterte administration.
Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, who this week petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify RA 11935, lamented that these earlier postponements were not challenged in the courts.
“During those days that the barangay elections were postponed, nobody has raised the issue before the Supreme Court. Walang nag-challenge niyan (Nobody ever challenged it),” he said. “It is now being brought before the Supreme Court for them to decide on the issue as to whether or not postponement of barangay elections is constitutional.”
We see merit in Macalintal’s legal action for there is indeed a need to have closure on the issue of the series of postponements of the village and youth elections, which only stress the fact that that government has a very low regard for these basic units of governance.
Thousands of pesos have been spent by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the preparations in these polls, and it is good that Chairman George Erwin Garcia promised that such preparations will not go to waste. He also said the commission will continue preparing for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections despite the postponement, as voter registration is a continuing task of the poll body.
We join Atty. Macalintal in urging the High Court to expedite the resolution of this issue for the benefit of all concerned.
