Bill to extend barangay officials’ term filed in Senate

 (INQUIRER file photo / John Michael Mugas)

MANILA, Philippines — Another bill seeking to extend the term of barangay officials to six years has been filed in the Senate.

In Senate Bill No. 2629, Senator Imee Marcos said the myriad duties of barangay officials often hinder them from “formulating, developing, and implementing” their own policies and projects.

Marcos has long been airing her bid to extend the term of barangay officials.

“The present term of three years is far too short for these officials to see their own projects through, since they spend the greater portion of their terms implementing the policies and projects of the national government and as well as those of the city, municipal, or provincial government units,” said Marcos, who chairs the Senate  panel on electoral reforms.

“An equally important reason to fix longer terms of office for barangay officials is to enable the national government to save billions of pesos.”

In 2023 alone, Marcos said the Commission on Elections required a budget of around P18 billion.

With this trend, Marcos warned that election costs will continue to rise, not only because of the general increase in the prices of election materials and manpower but also because of the possibility that even barangay elections “will also be automated in the future.”

Under Marcos’ proposed bill filed on April 8, the term of office of all elected barangay officials shall be six years.

“No barangay elective official shall serve for more than two consecutive terms in the same position. Voluntary renunciation of the office for any length of the time shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of service for the full term for which the elective official was elected,” Marcos’ bill reads.

With this proposal, the next regular barangay elections shall be held on the last Monday of October 2029 and every six years thereafter.

“The term of office of barangay officials elected subsequent to the effectivity of this act shall commence at noon of November 30 next following their election,” the bill adds.