Senators have approved the postponement of the May 2020 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to December 5, 2022, effectively extending to another year the term of office of incumbent village and youth leaders.
With all of the 21 senators present voting in the affirmative, Senate Bill No. 1043, was passed on third and final reading after the Senate Electoral Reforms Committee chaired by Senator Imee Marcos submitted its report in early September.
There will be two elections in 2022.
If enacted into law, there will be two elections held in 2022 – the presidential elections in May and the synchronized barangay and SK elections seven months after.
The first bill approved by the Senate in the current 18th Congress, the measure initially proposed to have the barangay and SK elections to take place on second Monday of May 2023.
But senators settled for the December 2022 schedule, finding the five-year extension of office in current village and youth leaders too long.
Following the December 2022 local poll exercise, the subsequent synchronized barangay and SK elections shall be held on the first Monday of December 2025 and every three years thereafter.
The elected officials shall assume office at noon of January 1, 2023.
Under SB 1043, the elected officials shall assume office at noon of January 1, 2023.
The most recent barangay and SK elections were held in May 2018. Originally, it was supposed to take place in October 2017.
If signed into law, it will be the third time that the barangay and SK elections will be postponed under the Duterte administration.