‘Congress has the power to extend village execs’ terms’

MANILA, Philippines – An administration lawmaker yesterday refuted the opinion of election lawyer Romulo Macalintal that Congress does not have the power to extend the three-year term of barangay officials. 

Rep. Sherwin Tugna, chair of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, said the 1987 Constitution gave Congress the power to legislate on the duration of the term of barangay officials.

“The power to legislate on the duration of the term of barangay officials necessarily includes, by way of a result, the extension of the term of the incumbent barangay officials. The electorate is not deprived of the right to vote,” he argued.

Tugna was reacting to Macalintal’s plan to elevate to the Supreme Court President Duterte’s signed edict postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections originally scheduled on Oct. 31.

Tugna said the decision of Congress to postpone the polls is not  unconstitutional because postponing the polls and extending the term of village chiefs on a holdover capacity until October 2017 “is delegated by the sovereign people who voted for members of Congress.”

He also expressed belief that the Duterte administration’s objective in postponing the polls is noble.

He noted that because of the poll postponement, there is no more ban on much-needed government infrastructure projects and designation of presidential appointees to key government posts for the delivery of basic services. Otherwise, there will be a 45-day suspension on infrastructure projects needed to address flooding and traffic congestion. 

For Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista, the postponement of barangay and SK elections would also allow the Comelec to focus on voter registration next month.