Potential postponement of barangay, SK polls worries Drilon

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday said the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections may be postponed again to hasten the ratification of charter change and extend the terms of lawmakers.

 

Drilon claimed the "supermajority" in the House of Representatives is planning to extend its members terms, which can only be fulfilled by scrapping the May 2019 mid-term elections. 

 

"Bakit po? Dahilan po kapag nagkaroon ng halalan sa May 2019 at walang cha-cha, ang halalan ay under the 1987 Constitution, kung saan hindi puwede ang pederalismo,” Drilon said in an interview with dzBB.

 

The senator said Congress needs to ratify changes to the 1987 Constitution before May 2019 and hold a plebiscite simultaneous with the barangay and SK polls. He added that this requires moving the village and SK polls, scheduled for May 2018 to a later date.

 

Drilon said the supermajority will railroad charter change between August and October and submit it for a plebiscite together with the barangay and SK elections in October or November.

 

He said it would not be possible to finish deliberations on proposed amnedments before March since Congress would be on break by March 21. 

 

Drilon said 80 third-term lawmakers would benefit from there being no elections in May 2019.

 

"Ang balita ko sa isa sa mga senior congressmen at na-confirmed din ng isang senador sa kanilang pakikipag-usap sa mga congressmen na ipo-postpone ang barangay and SK elections either to October or November, i-railroad ang Cha-cha at have it approved by Congress in time for the barangay and SK elections in October or November,” the senator disclosed.

 

Rep. Reynaldo Umali (Oriental Mindoro) has filed a bill to postpone the barangay and SK elections to May 2019 while Rep. Johnny Pimentel (Surigao del Sur) has filed a proposal to push back the elections to October.

 

The Commission on Elections said frequent cancellations of polls could mean lower voter turnouts when elections are finally held.

 

"Recent pronouncements on the possibility of postponing the 2018 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections will most likely dampen the enthusiasm of voters,  particularly the youth who stand to face another year or more without their elected community youth leaders," Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said earlier this month.

 

He said the 2016 national and local elections showed the readiness and eagerness of Filipinos to engage politically through voting.

Despite worries that charter change will be rammed through Congress, Drilon is optimistic his colleagues at the Senate would not allow the postponement of barangay and SK elections nor extensions for House members nearing their term limits.

 

"Ako po ay may tiwala sa aking mga kasamahan na kung ang maliwanag na ipinagpapalliban ang barangay elections ay dahilan sa ibig manatili ng mga congressmen at may term extension, hindi papayag ang mga senador," Drilon said.

 

Drilon noted that barangay elections have already been postponed twice. "Kapag madalas, masasanay ang taumbayan na wala ng halalan at iyan ay dangerous sa ating demokrasya," he said.

 

Last January, the Senate minority leader earlier said the Senate would not allow a no-elections scenario. He said that he trusts his colleagues to "have moral standing not to be tempted to vote for this amendment."

 

Congress, bout houses of which are led by the administration PDP-Laban, has readily shown that it is eager to vote according to the ruling party's policy decisions.