P-Noy thumbs down delay in barangay polls

While majority of the Cebu City Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) support the postponement of the barangay elections in October, President Benigno Aquino III doesn’t welcome the proposal.

The President pointed to an irregular situation under the Arroyo administration when barangay elections were postponed several times, casting serious doubt on the “expired mandate” of barangay officials.

“The people’s mandate should be secured periodically. So, unless I see very good reasons for a postponement, I think I’ll stick with my stand previously that the Commission on Elections should hold the elections as scheduled,” he said.

ABC-Cebu City President Michael Ralota said barangay officials certainly support the postponement, especially those on their last term like him.

He said he wants to continue implementing projects in his barangay of T. Padilla.

Ralota said a meeting by the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas last December showed that all barangay officials favored the postponement.

Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes pushed for the postponement of the barangay election on October to October 2014 or January 2015.

Brillantes said the agency had just expended its resources and personnel ensuring the success of this month’s midterm elections. Ralota ran but lost his bid for a City Council seat.

Brillantes said the proposed postponement of the barangay elections is not unconstitutional because its timetable is not set in the Constitution.

“It is a law that fixes the period of barangay (village) elections, that is very clear. So the law can be amended, how can it be unconstitutional?” Brillantes told reporters in an ambush interview. With an Inquirer report