Estrada bill seeks postponement of barangay, SK polls to Dec. 2023

Senator Jinggoy Estrada has filed a bill seeking to move the next barangay and Sangguninang Kabataan (SK) elections from December 5, 2022 to the first Monday of December 2023.

Under the proposed measure, barangay and SK officials who will be elected in December 2023 will assume office at noon of January 1, 2024.

In explaining the intent of the bill, Estrada said the P8-billion budget for the polls can be used to "fund economic programs and health services to ease the effects of pandemic to all Filipinos, particularly to those who were greatly affected."

In an interview with reporters, the returning senator mentioned that the P8 billion can also be utilized to address the current COVID-19 surge in the country.

"'Yung P8 billion marami na mararating yon especially now meron na naman tayong surge ng COVID-19. Siguro puwede nila gamitin sa ibang paraan yon. The barangay and SK elections can wait naman," he said.

Further, Estrada also stated in his explanatory note that the recently concluded 2022 national and local elections "had caused much divisiveness" among the electorate.

"The political atmosphere is very polarized that plunging Filipino voters to another situation of political toxicity in a close interval would not be beneficial to our national well-being," he said.

Aside from Estrada, Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero also filed a measure seeking to postpone the 2022 barangay and SK polls.

On Monday, Commission on Elections (Comelec) acting spokesperson Rex Laudiangco asked Congress to decide immediately on the conduct of the barangay and SK polls citing the poll body's preparations.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/838662/senate-to-take-cue-from-marcos-on-deferment-of-barangay-sk-polls-zubiri/story/

But presumptive Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the Senate will wait for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s first State of the Nation Address (SONA) before deciding whether to pass a bill deferring the barangay polls or not.

Some lawmakers, including House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, who is poised to be the next speaker, back the postponement of the local polls.

Romualdez said the government could save P8.141 billion if the BSKE will be deferred.

Former Comelec Commissioner George Garcia, whose appointment was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments, earlier echoed Romualdez's statement, saying that postponing the December 2022 barangay and SK elections would save the government a lot of money.

Should the elections be deferred, this will mark the fourth time that Congress postponed the barangay and SK elections since October 2016.

The October 2016 barangay and SK polls were postponed to October 2017. From then, it was postponed to May 2018. It was again reset to May 2022.

Last week, the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) and National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) aired their opposition against proposals to postpone the 2022 Barangay and SK elections, saying it is high time for the electorate to assess their local leaders.—LDF, GMA News