Senate OKs bill setting four-year terms for barangay, SK officials

The Senate on Tuesday approved on third and final reading a bill setting the terms of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials for four years.

Senate Bill 2816, or the proposed Act Setting the Term of Office of Barangay Officials and Members of the Sangguniang Kabataan, was approved with 22 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and zero abstentions.

“We have compromised at the level of four years that the following election is to be conducted on October 20 of 2027. Three consecutive terms will be the limit, and the SK charter will prevail for all the other dates referring to the SK, and the incumbent kapitans will be in a holdover capacity until that next election in 2027,” Senator Imee Marcos, sponsor of the bill, said.

“The assumption of office will be on November first following their election,” she added.

After the approval of the bill, Senator Robin Padilla said that a three-year term is not sufficient to fulfill their platforms and programs.

Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. also aired his support for the measure, saying this will help fulfill the barangays’ mandates.

“Let us stress how the barangay is defined under the Local Government Code. As the ‘basic political unit, it serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects, and activities in the community, and as a forum wherein the collective views of the people may be expressed, crystalized, and considered, and where disputes are amicably settled,’” Revilla said.

SB 2816’s counterpart measure in the House of Representatives has been approved at the committee level. — VBL, GMA Integrated News