President Duterte has signed into law the bill postponing barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, suspending for the second time the right of voters to elect their ground level officials.
The President on Monday approved Republic Act (RA) 10952, moving barangay and SK elections to May 2018. Section 1 of RA 10952 states “that the barangay and SK elections on October 23 shall be postponed to the second Monday of May 2018”.
Due to the postponement, subsequent synchronized ground-level elections shall be conducted on the second Monday of May 2020 and every three years thereafter. All incumbent barangay officials shall also remain in office on a holdover capacity, and can only be replaced until their successors are duly elected and qualified, or unless removed or suspended for cause.
The law also extends the term of ex officio members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sangguniang Panlalawigan. Elections for ex officio positions in the sanggunians shall be held no later than July 31, 2018, under the supervision of the Department of Interior and Local Government.
Under RA 10952, construction or maintenance of barangay-funded roads and bridges shall be prohibited for a period of 10 days before the date of election. Barangay officials are also disallowed to appoint or hire new employees, create new positions and promotions and increase salaries for a period of 10 days before the date of election.
On the other hand, an amount of P6.09 billion is carried over as continuing appropriations and shall only be used for the conduct of barangay and SK registration and elections in May 2018. However, the Sangguniang Barangay shall not spend the Sangguniang Kabataan fund, unless it will be used for youth development and empowerment programs.
Duterte has suspended the barangay and SK elections on the grounds of alleged officials making use of drug money to spin the results of the votation in their favor. However, the chairman of the National Youth Commission (NYC) believes the SK elections should be spared from the allegation, arguing ground level youth officials are not involved in narcopolitics.
“The National Youth Commission is saddened over that news because it has been years since we last had an SK chairman and an SK council. It is difficult to not have youth representatives in the government because you are allowing old people to decide for the young people,” NYC Chairman and former child actress Cariza “Aiza” Y. Seguerra said in a previous news briefing.