COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon yesterday expressed reservations over the decision of both Houses of Congress to postpone the May 2020 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls.
In her Twitter account (@commrguanzon), Guanzon said: “Barangay & SK elections reset to (December) 2022. @COMELEC We believe that it is best for democratic processes to be stable, so elections must be regular.”
Last Monday, the House of Representatives approved on final reading the measure seeking to postpone the next barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. Congressmen voted 194-6 with no abstention in favor of House Bill No. 4933 moving the barangay and SK polls from May 2020 to the second Monday of May 2023.
Voting 21-0, the Senate last Sept. 30 approved the postponement of the next barangay and SK polls to Dec. 5, 2022. The postponement, if okayed by the bicameral committee, will be the third under the Duterte administration.
Guanzon said she is concerned that resetting the barangay and SK elections could be used for political gains given the proximity of the May 2022 national and local polls.
“I hope the intention is not because the local officials want the barangay officials to campaign for them and their national candidates in May 2022,” she said.
She, however, assured lawmakers the poll body is ready to implement the bill postponing the May 2020 elections in the event it is signed into law.
