MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives, voting 218-4, approved on third and final reading last night a bill postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election scheduled on Oct. 31.
Earlier yesterday, the Senate passed its version of the postponement measure.
Voting 20-2, the Senate approved Senate Bill No. 1112 seeking to postpone for one year the barangay and SK elections.
Under Bill 3504 that the House approved, the barangay and SK voting would be postponed to the fourth Monday of October 2017.
The Senate also approved a similar provision of its own version of the bill.
The House bill on the other hand authorizes the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to continue using appropriations given by Congress for the election.
Cebu Rep. Raul del Mar, however, questioned the decision of the House leadership to put the bill to a vote, saying the rules of the chamber require that it should wait for three session days from the time printed copies of a measure were distributed among members before calling for a vote.
He said distribution took place last Wednesday and yesterday was only the third session day since then.
“Voting will be in order if it takes place tomorrow after the lapse of three session days,” he said.
But Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas said the rules refer to three calendar days and not session days.
Earlier, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said the postponement would give President Duterte the opportunity to continue making appointments, which would be prohibited if there were an approaching election.
Duterte has supported the deferment move, saying if the election pushed through next month, drug lords might fund the campaign of many barangay chairmen.
Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said the postponement was unconstitutional, as it would result in the extension of term of incumbent barangay and SK officers.
He said the Constitution provides that these officers be elected and not imposed on the people by Congress through term extension.
Under the approved bill, incumbent officers will remain in office until their successors are elected or they are removed for cause.
The Senate voted on the bill sponsored and authored by Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate committee on local governments.
The measure – the first bill to be approved in the Senate in the 17th Congress – was coauthored by Senators Leila de Lima, Alan Peter Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Joel Villanueva, Cynthia Villar and Juan Miguel Zubiri. – With Paolo Romero