Senators junk bid to postpone Barangay, SK elections

Some senators yesterday thumbed down the Commission on Elections (Comelec) call for Congress to expedite the passage of a measure postponing the village and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections set in October saying they prefer that local polls resume this year.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said it would be difficult for both the Senate and House of Representatives to rush the passage of another law suspending the SK and barangay elections.

The Comelec earlier said Congress has at least two weeks to pass the law, which to the poll body would be their “deadliest deadline.” Unless Congress passes the measure postponing the SK, barangay elections anew, the poll body will start printing the ballots estimated to be about P1-billion next week.

“It will be difficult to beat the deadline. I am in favor of holding elections,” Recto said.

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, for his part, said Comelec should have prepared earlier knowing the new schedules of the barangay polls.

“Relying on Congress to pass a legislation for yet another postponement is the ‘deadliest assumption’ they could depend on,” Lacson said.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said it is understandable that the Comelec needs to know ahead of time whether elections will push through or not so that it will not incur preparation cost.

But he said the reasons for postponing elections for another year is entirely a different story.

“Congress should carefully scrutinize as to why is there a need to postpone elections once more. What benefit will it bring? What happened within that one year postponement?” Gatchalian pointed out.