Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 15) — Returning Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has filed a bill seeking to postpone the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections scheduled for December this year.
“This proposed measure seeks to bolster the stability and consistency of public service at the barangay level by postponing the barangay and sangguniang kabataan (SK) elections from the fifth day of December 2022 to the second Monday of May 2024,” Escudero said in his explanatory note.
The lawmaker listed advantages should the elections be deferred, citing mainly on “interventions” that will address the country’s present problems, including the COVID-19 pandemic, high oil prices, inflation, and poverty.
The measure also enables to realign a portion of the barangay and SK election’s fund amounting to ₱8.44 billion “towards interventions aimed at sustaining the current momentum in addressing the coronavirus pandemic and achieving our collective socioeconomic objectives.”
As early as June, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) started preparing for the barangay and SK elections while voter registration resumed on July 4 and will close on July 23rd.
As of July 12, the commission said there are already 909,687 registered voters, more than half of whom belong to the 15-17 age bracket.
READ: Newly registered voters nearing 1 million – Comelec
