Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez. (Photo from his Facebook page)
BACOLOD CITY — Congress has until March 21 to pass bill postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, said Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.
He said there were two bills filed in the House of Representatives seeking the postponement of the barangay polls so it would be held simultaneously with the plebiscite on a new Constitution.
The bills had favorable reaction in the House, but the Senate appeared to be reluctant, he added.
“The move to postponed the May barangay and SK polls is faced with a very tight schedule, but it may still be possible if the Senate agrees to it,” Benitez added.
Annabelle Bermudo, head of the Association of Barangay Captains Federation in Negros Occidental, and Valentino Miguel Alonso, head of the Philippine Councilors League Negros Occidental chapter, said their leagues had not been officially consulted or informed that the barangay and SK polls could be postponed.
But the head of the barangay association in Tacloban City said they would respect the decision of Congress should it move to postpone it again.
“I will respect whatever will be the decision of the President or Congress on this matter. I have no further comment about it,” said Eden Pineda-Chua, who sits as an ex-officio member of the City Council as president of the Tacloban Association of Barangay Chairmen (ABC).
She added she had yet to receive information about the move to postpone again the elections this May.
Lawyer Jose Nick Mendros, Commission on Elections (Comelec) director for Eastern Visays, said they were still in the thick of things preparing for the polls despite the talks of possible postponement.
“I have heard that there are pending bills at the House of Representatives seeking for the resetting again of the schedule of the May 14, 2018 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections,” Mendros said.
“Our point here is they have to do it early because we kept in recurring expenses,” he added. “We cannot rely on the fact that because there are pending bills [seeking for cancellation] we will not prepare.” /atm