House panel resets village polls to October

MANILA - THE Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms of the House of Representatives postponed the barangay (village) elections in May in anticipation of a plebiscite for the New Constitution in October 2018.

In a 17-0 vote, the House panel decided to postpone the polls to the second Monday of October.

"We did not postpone because of an assumption that there will be a plebiscite for a New Constitution.  There are Committees in Congress deliberating on it, and there is also the Consultative Committee formed by Malacanang [which will recommend a new Constitution subject to Congress' approval or otherwise]," Rep. Sherwin Tugna of the Citizens Battle Against Corruption party-list, the committee chairman, said. 

Meanwhile, 17 committee members voted in favor of Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu's motion to move the schedule of the barangay and SK elections from May 14 to October 8 this year.

The four measures tackled were House Bills 7072, 7128, 7167 and 7217.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, the author of HB 7072, stressed the need to give the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and other involved agencies the additional time to "further ensure credible and effective barangay elections" considering the coordination costs and expenses of organizing the polls.

"Barangay officials are at the forefront of government service and are important figureheads in the community," Pimentel said.

"In light of their importance to the community, the planned barangay elections must be properly conducted in order to give the electorate the best opportunity to exercise their right to suffrage," he added.

The bill provides that all incumbent barangay officials shall remain in a holdover capacity, unless sooner removed or suspended for cause until their successors shall have been elected and qualified.

Meanwhile, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, the author of HB 7167, said postponing the barangay and SK elections this May will give Congress more time to determine the proper structure of the government when it transitions into a federal system.

The House leadership has earlier planned to submit the proposed new federal charter as a referendum simultaneously with the scheduled barangay and SK elections in May 2018.

"Considering these circumstances, the schedule is too cramped if the elections will be held simultaneously with the plebiscite for the proposed Federal Constitution," Umali said. [Llanesca T. Panti, The Manila Times, and PNA]