Solon files bill postponing barangay polls to May 2023

MANILA, Philippines — Isabela 6th District Rep. Faustino “Inno” Dy V has filed a bill postponing the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to May 2023 from the original schedule on the second Monday of May 2020.

In a statement on Tuesday, Dy said he would commit his first year in office to push for the passage of House Bill No. 47, which he filed Monday, stressing the “need for barangay executives to serve full five-year terms to better serve their constituents and to ensure uninterrupted government frontline services.”

The lawmaker noted that his bill would give the current officials a full five-year term, and the succeeding elections will be conducted every five years thereafter.

If passed into law, it will affect nearly 670,000 barangay and SK officials belonging to the country’s 41,948 barangays.

Dy, who recently served as National President of the Liga ng mga Barangay (LNB), said the proposed law was “consistent with the call of” LNB “to be granted a fixed term that will give them enough time to implement and promote long-term programs and advocacies without interruption and political interference.”

The most recent barangay and SK elections were conducted in May last year. Originally set for October 31, 2016, the local elections were moved to October 23, 2017, and then to May 14, 2018.

“If we hold the next election for these public servants in May next year, that only gives them woefully short, inadequate two-year terms,” lamented the 26-year-old Dy, the youngest male legislator in the House.

He also argued that the country needs a “much-needed break from politics.”

“If we push through with the barangay elections next year, that will mark the third straight year voters will troop to the polls. That’s four elections in a span of five years, from 2016 to 2020. Let’s give our people, let’s give our teachers a much-deserved break,” he said. (Editor: Eden Estopace)