Comelec lauds Congress for agreeing to move barangay, SK polls next year

MANILA, Philippines (Philippines News Agency) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has lauded Congress for agreeing to reschedule the 2016 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to next year.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez is reacting on the decision last Tuesday by the Senate and the House of Representatives which agreed to move the forthcoming polls to Oct. 23, 2017.

“We asked for a clear indication by September 1 whether or not Congress would postpone the elections. We got our answer sooner than expected. All we need now is the signed law to serve as a legal basis for the postponement,” he said.

The poll body official also expressed gratitude to the lawmakers for moving the polls to next year and not on 2018, which is so close to the 2019 polls.

“We are thankful that our lawmakers responded positively to our position that a postponement of the barangay polls to 2018 would adversely affect preparations for the mid-term elections scheduled for 2019,” Jimenez added.

The Comelec previously manifested that, if the elections would be suspended this year, they would prefer for the polls to be moved to 2017, instead of 2018 as originally proposed. 

Comelec Chair Juan Andres “Andy” Bautista earlier said he is eyeing the postponement of the barangay and SK polls because Filipinos may have already developed “election fatigue.” He added that it will also be expensive so a postponement would be better.

However, Commissioners Rowena Guanzon, Luie Guia and Christian Robert Lim said only Bautista wants to delay the upcoming elections. She said they have decided to boycott the two upcoming polls so that Bautista could run the elections by himself.

READ: Guanzon: Commissioners don’t want barangay, SK polls delayed

Meanwhile, the printing of 85 million ballots at the National Printing Office was stopped last Friday after President Rodrigo Duterte favored the suspension of the Oct. 31 elections. The production of ballots started last Aug. 21. ?— with a report from Rosette Adel