THE Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) yesterday expressed its “unequivocal” opposition to the proposed postponement of the December 5, 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
“PPCRV unequivocally opposes the postponement of the 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections scheduled for December 2022,” said PPCRV in a statement.
The Church-based poll watchdog said this is because holding the election of barangay leaders is more crucial for citizens as the latter is the most accessible government official to the citizenry, and whose services are most immediately felt at the community level.
“Their importance cannot be emphasized. And yet, the calls to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections seem to undermine the barangay’s important role and significance in the daily dissemination of basic services to the Filipino people,” said PPCRV
Relative to it, it said postponing the barangay and youth polls deprives the citizens the right to affirm and reelect barangay leaders who provided good and dependable leadership and ensured the timely flow of necessary services, most especially during the pandemic.
“Postponement of the election also deprives citizens of the right and critical need to replace those leaders who did not optimally and adequately exercise their voter-given mandate,” said PPCRV.
As to the proposed reallocation of the P8.2 billion funds allocated for the BSKE to COVID-19 responsive programs, the PPCRV stressed that both the BSKE and COVID-19 responsiveness are key priorities with separate budget allocations.
“The importance of one should not be made the reason for diminishing and deprioritizing the other. The choice to fund the essential COVID-19 program should not preclude a nation’s right to cast a vote for or against their community leaders in accordance with the mandated schedule,” said PPCRV.
Other poll watchdogs, such as the Legal Network for Truthful Elections and the National Movement for Free Elections, as well as Elections Chairman George Garcia have pushed for the continuation of the holding of the BSKE.
Several lawmakers have filed different bills seeking to postpone the elections scheduled this December 5 to a later date.
Said proposals expressed belief that the budget for the barangay and SK polls should be used to finance other economic programs and health services of the government.