Proclamation of 79 BSKE 2023 winners on hold due to DQ raps

The Commission on Elections has suspended the proclamation of at least 79 winners of the 2023 Barangay ang Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE)  due to pending disqualification cases against them.

Garcia said that while the poll body has suspended proclamations for 256 candidates for the BSKE polls, only 46 of them have won in the BSKE so far.

“There are a total of 256 [candidates with disqualification cases]. Of that number, 79 po iyong nanalo na pinasuspend natin iyong proclamation. This [number] includes barangay chairman and kagawad (barangay council worker.)

“Iyong natalo [roon sa 256], 94 [so far]. Iyong ibang kinasuhan [ng disqualification, kinacanvass [pa ang boto],” Garcia added.

Garcia also said that of the 256, 11 cases involved those 2023 BSKE candidates who are deemed automatically disqualified due to an Ombudsman decision penalizing them with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

But of the 245, Garcia said most of the disqualification cases stemmed from premature campaigning and vote buying.

“Most of the initial 245 disqualification cases involved premature campaigning, illegal campaigning, and vote buying since there were those who held [contests for] raffle [prizes ahead of Election Day],” Garcia said. —VAL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News