Alvarez admits proposed barangay, SK polls postponement already dead

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez admitted Tuesday that it is too late to postpone again the May 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

Alvarez made the remark after the House of Representatives approved on final reading the bill resetting the barangay polls to October 2018.

"Medyo masikip talaga dahil wala namang naka-file na bill sa Senado... Well, that's how democracy works. Okay lang sa amin yun," he said.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III had said there was no more time for senators to tackle proposals to postpone the barangay polls anew.

Congress will go on a seven-week session break from March 24 to May 13. The barangay polls will be held on May 14, the same day Congress will resume sessions.

During the sponsorship and debates for the bill, House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms chairman Sherwin Tugna said the postponement of the barangay and SK elections to a later date would be beneficial especially if in case a plebiscite will also be held to approve the proposed federal charter.

Alvarez said that since postponing the barangay elections has become impossible, the plebiscite for the federal charter may probably be held simultaneously with the mid-term national elections in 2019.

He also said that holding the plebiscite this coming October may also be difficult as Congress would tackle the national budget for 2019 at that time.

"Normally, sa SONA, binibigay ng ating Pangulo yung NEP (National Expenditure Program), yung budget natin for 2019. So pagbigay sa amin niyan, siyempre bibigyan natin ng priority 'yan. And normally, 'yung deadline na binibigyan ng DBM sa atin, mga November," he said.

He also said that during this period, lawmakers are also expected to be busy with the 2019 elections and it would be difficult to muster a quorum at the House of Representatives. —ALG, GMA News