Bill resetting b’gay polls passed on second reading

The House of Representatives approved on second reading Wednesday a consolidated measure that seeks to postpone the scheduled Oct. 23 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to May 2018.

House Bill 5359 got the nod of the plenary, Citizens Battle Against Corruption party-list Rep. Sherwin Tugna, who chairs the committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, said.

The Senate has approved its counterpart measure.

Under the proposed bill, incumbent barangay officials will continue their functions on holdover capacity.

They will be replaced once the next barangay and SK officials are elected in next year’s polls.

Party-list Reps. Antonio Tinio (Alliance of Concerned Teachers) and Arlene Brosas (Gabriela) opposed the proposal.

Last month, House allies of President Duterte agreed during a caucus to move – for the second time – the barangay and SK elections to May 2018.

The caucus was called by House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas.

“The measure will have to pass through the legislative process, but it is apparent among members of the House that there will be a (consensus),” Rep. Jericho Jonas Nograles said.

“The schedule might still be a matter of debates,” he added.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs and author of House Bill 5359 that seeks to postpone the polls, said Congress could meet the deadline to pass the bill.

“We still have enough time to postpone the barangay and SK polls. We hope Malacañang will certify the bill as urgent to make this possible,” Barbers said.

Fariñas assured the Commission on Elections that Congress has ample time to pass the measure to postpone the barangay and SK elections.

“It will take only a week or two to pass the law if both the Senate and the House of Representatives will agree,” he said. – Delon Porcalla