Castillano backs postponement of barangay, youth elections

Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano supported the move of the House of Representatives to postpone this October’s barangay and youth elections to May 2018.

Castillano said it is better to have the elections in May because it’s summer season and the poll body can freely use the schools.

Castillano said that the Comelec should have started the printing of ballots. However, Castillano said that the poll body yesterday received a directive from Comelec en banc on the extension of the sealing of the list of voters.

He said that the Comelec is slowly pushing through with the preparations to avoid spending more than necessary.

“We already printed the list of voters but since the elections won’t prosper, only the lists of voters are going to be discarded,” he added.

In January this year, the As- sociation of Barangay Councils (ABC) in the entire country announced its position seeking the postponement of the barangay elections.

They wanted for the postponement to last until the Barangay Reform Bill will be passed into law.

Cebu ABC Provincial Federation President Celestino “Tining” Martinez III, who sits as an ex-officio member of the Cebu Provincial Board, had announced the ABC’s stand.

The barangay elections were supposed to be held last October 2016, but Congress postponed the polls for one year upon the suggestion of President Rodrigo Duterte. It was set on Oct. 30, 2017.

Recently, Congress once again postponed the elections and tentatively moved this on May 2018. /

The Barangay Reform Act, which was filed by then congresswoman (now vice president) Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo, has set a five-year term for barangay officials, with a standardized salary grade.