Presidential candidate, incumbent Vice President Jejomar Binay.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
VIGAN, Ilocos Sur – Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday said he would postpone the October 2016 barangay (village) elections for two years if he wins as president.
In an interview, Binay said pushing through with the village polls in October would only result in more expenses especially coming on the heels of the May 9 presidential elections.
“Katatapos lang ng halalan, halalan na naman. Alam mo, ginagastusan yan. Ang pagkakalam ko dyan ay yung barangay ang gumagastos sa halalan. So pagpapaliban muna natin. Huwag natin isabay sa local o national,” Binay said.
(The elections have just finished, then another elections come in. You know, money are spent. From what I know, it’s the barangay that shoulders the elections. So we should postpone it. Let’s not hold it together with the local or national polls.)
Binay said under his administration, a law would be passed to amend the law scheduling the village polls in October every three years.
He said he wants to postpone this year’s barangay elections for at least two years.
“Magkakaroon ng (There will be) legislation kasi everytime you postpone elections, which is mandated by law so you have to amend that. We have to come up with a law,” Binay said.
Binay made the statement as he seeks favors from the grassroots officials, whose term would be extended if the barangay polls are postponed.
Pres. Benigno Aquino III in 2013 had opposed the postponement of the barangay elections, citing the experience under the Arroyo administration when barangays polls were always postponed, putting to question the mandate given to the grassroots officials.
“I am apprehensive about the postponement because this could lead to several postponements, as our past experience showed,” Aquino had said in an Inquirer report.
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