President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday signed into law Republic Act No.11462 that postpones the holding of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, which were originally scheduled on May 11, 2020.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles has confirmed that SK and barangay polls have been rescheduled on December 5, 2022.
“The new schedule would give SK and Barangay officials the fullest opportunity to serve their constituents.”
“The new schedule would give SK and Barangay officials the fullest opportunity to serve their constituents and finish whatever projects they have started. The intent is to improve public service and make local governance more responsive to the needs of the people,” Nograles said.
The two Houses of Congress each passed bills on the matter. The House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 4933 by a vote of 194-6 while the Senate approved Senate Bill No. 1043 with 21 affirmative votes and no negative votes and no abstentions.
The postponement would effectively extend the terms of office of incumbent SK and barangay officials who assumed their posts after the May 2018 elections.
It would be recalled that the President had asked both houses of Congress to postpone the SK and barangay elections last July. The President likewise sought for the passage of a Magna Carta for barangays “to promote and ensure its welfare in recognition of its role in society as a basic political unit” during his fourth State of the Nation address in the same month.
“We’re thankful to our leaders and members from the legislature for heeding the call of the President.”
“We’re thankful to our leaders and members from the legislature for heeding the call of the President. The election resetting ensures our continued path to progress and better service at the grassroots level, which is one of the main policy aims of the Duterte administration,”Nograles noted.
The former Davao representative likewise explained, “We are currently working with the DILG, the National Youth Commission and Commission on Audit to finish the manual on financial management for the Sangguniang Kabataan. This will help improve how the SK’s allocated funds are utilized to serve the youth in the barangay. We are also working on legislation that would allow SK officials to receive an allowance so that they can actively perform their duties as elected officials.”