House panel OKs bill postponing barangay polls

MANILA, Philippines – A committee of the House of Representatives yesterday approved the measure seeking to postpone the Oct. 31 barangay elections and extend the terms of barangay captains until 2017.

House Deputy Majority Leader CIBAC Rep. Sherwin Tugna, chairman of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, told newsmen that House Bill 3384, filed by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, resetting the barangay polls has been “duly approved” by the panel.

Tugna said the “holdover” provision was retained in the measure, where outgoing village chiefs will have to stay on for another year until the next elections are held in October 2017.

While there have been amendments introduced during yesterday’s panel deliberations, Tugna said most of them were nothing new as there has always been appointments and infrastructure ban in every elections.

“There has been no substantial changes,” he said, adding the next barangay polls after 2017 will be held on May 2020, which will not coincide with the midterm May 2019 polls, as provided in the 1987 Constitution.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andy Bautista, who was present during the hearing, said they were not surprised with the development because they have been apprised of Congress’ move to defer the polls, as per directives of President Duterte.

Bautista said they have printed P200 million worth of ballots supposedly for the CARAGA region, but have since stopped due to Congress’ plans to defer the elections. Comelec has been allotted a total of P7 billion for the elections.

The Senate, for its part, adopted two key reforms meant to remove the disruptive effects of barangay elections in public infrastructure projects and in the appointment of government personnel.

The amendments, proposed by Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto, have been incorporated in the Senate bill postponing the barangay polls during plenary debates on Monday.

The first amendment allows all public works projects to continue “before, during and after” the elections except for “barangay-funded work on roads and bridges.”

“This means that work on nationally-funded classrooms, hospitals, roads, irrigation will not cease during the barangay election period,” Recto said.

So that such would not influence voters’ choices, implementation of barangay-funded projects will, however, be suspended 10 days before the elections.

Another amendment, which was accepted by bill sponsor Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, is the lifting of the ban on the hiring or promotion of government employees.

“This is one Jurassic provision in our barangay election laws which should go. Why, for example, would the hiring of policemen or teachers stop just because candidates for barangay kagawad (village councilor) have hit the campaign trail?” Recto said.

“If the position to be filled, like the ambassadorship to a certain country, has nothing to do with barangay affairs, then why should this be covered by a hiring ban?” he said.

Under the Senate bill, the ban on “the appointment or hiring of new employees, creation of new position, promotion or giving salary increases or privileges” shall only apply to barangay employees and shall be in effect for a period of 10 days preceding the election.

Recto said the twin amendments ensure that important services of the government will not pause during the campaign period for the country’s village officials.

“However you look at it, there is no rhyme nor reason why a public works holiday or a freeze in appointing civil servants is needed during the barangay elections,” he said.

House Deputy Speaker, Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed support for Alvarez’s bill. – With Paolo Romero, Marvin Sy