The Commission on Elections (Comelec) expressed support for the possible postponement anew of the scheduled barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos said the poll body would welcome measures calling for the postponement of the forthcoming Oct. 9 elections coming from Congress.
“It’s not for us (to postpone the elections), it’s for the Congress but if they decide to do so we will immediately abide by their decision,” Abalos said.
Abalos said he would rather hold the barangay and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections in August next year, claiming the public has yet to get over the results of the past senatorial and local elections.
Abalos also suggested the possibility of just allowing the local chief executives to appoint the new set of barangay officials instead of holding costly elections.
Abalos earlier noted the holding of barangay elections has caused more divisiveness at the grassroots level that even close family members and relatives are pitted against each other.
The barangay elections have been postponed twice due to budgetary constraints but Abalos said the P2 billion allotment for the holding of this year’s barangay polls is now with the Comelec.
For the meantime, Comelec has extended the nationwide voters registration for the barangay elections in view of the heavy turnout of new registrants.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said Comelec will accept applications for the SK elections during the weekend (Aug. 4 and 5) in barangays and public schools nationwide. – Mayen Jaymalin