Senate wants SK, barangay polls postponed

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who heads the Senate committee on local government, has recommended to President Aquino the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections from Oct. 25 to October next year.

In his proposed committee report, Marcos cited the cost of the incoming elections, the divisiveness it might create, the need to review the SK charter and to address poll automation, as well as the need to validate voters’ lists as major reasons in the need to delay the SK and barangay elections.

Marcos said the barangay and SK polls would cost the government P3.5 billion, when “the country has already spent around P11 billion to P12 billion last May… for the automated national and local elections.”

Marcos also agreed with other senators, as well as the Liga ng mga Barangay officials, that the country has just recovered from the highly politicized May 2010 elections and it would only aggravate the political situation if the elections are pushed through.

The Senate committee has yet to route its committee report on the postponement. Congress needs to pass an amendment on the issue because the regular conduct of the SK and barangay elections is mandated by law.

Meanwhile, Camarines Norte Rep. Elmer Panotes pushed yesterday for the barangay and SK elections to be scrapped to help the government save money and “address political divisiveness that have triggered numerous political killings in the grassroots level.”

He said incumbent barangay officials should continue on a holdover capacity unless sooner removed for cause, he said.

Panotes also proposed the mayor elected in 2013 should be empowered by law to appoint a barangay captain and two councilmen to take care of all the affairs of one barangay. – With Paolo Romero, Pete Laude