Move to extend terms of village, SK execs pushed

BACOLOD CITY—Some lawmakers are pushing to extend the terms of the newly elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to five years.

Negrense Rep. Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod party list said there are members of the House of Representatives who are moving to make changes in the scheduled election of the next village and youth polls, which are set in December 2025.

Since the Supreme Court had ruled that the postponement of barangay elections was unconstitutional, there are lawmakers who want the terms of barangay and SK officials to be extended through an amendment of the Local Government Code, said Paduano.

Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City’s second district earlier urged the House committee on local government to endorse his proposal for a five-year term of office for barangay and SK officers as contained in House Bill (HB) No. 7123 that he filed last February.

He said it would not be fair for village officials elected in October this year to have a shortened tenure of only two years following the Supreme Court ruling that Republic Act No. 11935, which postponed the grassroots polls from Dec. 5, 2022 to Oct. 30, 2023, was unconstitutional.

“Let’s give all of those to be voted this year and succeeding elections a uniform term of office of five years, instead of those to be voted in October having a two-year tenure, and those to be elected in 2025 enjoying three years,” he had said.

“Let us correct our error by fixing a five-year term of office for all grassroots officers to be elected beginning in October. I urge the committee on local government to support my proposal,” he added.

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Too short

HB 7123 would amend Section 43 of the Local Government Code, under which barangay and SK officials enjoy a three-year term of office.

Under the proposed measure, the term of office of barangay officials and SK members shall be for five years. The three-consecutive-term limit is retained.

In proposing a longer tenure, Rodriguez said the three-year term “is too short a time for the unity and stability in barangay leadership and affairs.”

“It is not enough to ensure that the programs of the barangay are carried out properly, especially considering the fact that it cannot be denied that the last year of the term is basically used for campaigning,” he said.

Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez backed the move.

“Congress does not have the power to postpone the elections but it has the power to extend terms of office which I support,” he said on Monday.

Benitez said the city government would extend assistance to the newly elected barangay and SK officials because “the people have spoken and it is my duty as a public servant to respect that.”

As the “front-liners” of public service, he said it would be important for the village and SK officials to “perform and deliver” the services needed by their constituents.

‘Super city’ partners

The mayor called on the barangay and SK officials to be partners and stakeholders in the journey of Bacolod into a super city, which they all can achieve through hard work.

According to Benitez, the city government will institute a code of good governance in the barangays, and will ensure that each barangay will submit their required reports to the Commission on Audit on time.

Benitez said he had asked the City Accounting Office to extend its software program to the barangays so they will be computerized at their level.

“We are moving and transforming to digitalization, we want a digital platform to govern our public service that we will do together,” he added. INQ