Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. Senate PRIB file photo / Voltaire F. Domingo
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Wednesday said the postponement of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) could have deprived capable Filipino youth of the chance to enhance their leadership skills through the SK system.
“The Barangay and SK elections would have been a very good opportunity to conduct a referendum on the performance of the incumbent, especially in relation to their handling of the pandemic response. [T]he postponement deprived a whole generation of potentially-capable Filipino youth,” said Pimentel in a statement.
He said the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling declaring Republic Act No. 11935 — the law which postponed the holding of BSKE from its December 5, 2022 schedule to the last Monday of October 2023 — as unconstitutional has “validated” his stand.
He said that regular, periodic, fair, free, honest, and accurate elections are essential components of an inclusive and functioning democracy.
“A significant milestone has been achieved in safeguarding the democratic processes. This ruling by the SC will effectively prevent the recurring practice of postponing the barangay and SK elections to the detriment of the Filipino people and our democratic processes,” he concluded.
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