Senate approves barangay, SK elections postponement bill on third reading

Election tellers resorted to manual counting in Barangay Bagong Silang in Caloocan City in the barangay and SK elections held on  May 14, 2018. Photo by EDWIN BACASMAS / Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading the bill seeking to postpone the village and youth council elections.

With 21 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and no abstention, the upper chamber passed Senate Bill No. 1043, which seeks to hold the village and youth council elections on December 5, 2022.

If enacted into law, two elections will be held in 2022 — the presidential elections in May and the village and youth council elections in December.

The bill initially proposed the village and youth council elections to take place on May 2023 but was later amended to December 2022, as senators found the five-year extension of office on the current village and youth leaders too long.

After the December 2022 village and youth council elections, elected leaders will assume office on January 1, 2023, with the next elections to be held on December 2025.

The approval of the postponement of the polls came after President Rodrigo Duterte asked Congress during his last State of the Nation Address to again put on hold the village and youth council polls.