Friday, August 17, 2007 House gives up efforts to delay barangay polls By Ben O. Tesiorna
THE House of Representatives is set to give up their effort to postpone the holding of the barangay election this October after Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. reportedly objected to the idea.
Davao City 1st District Representative Prospero Nograles said that while the Lower House is inclined to push for the deferment of the election from October this year to next year, Pimentel's objection has however imperiled the move.
"It is now almost futile because we are running out of time. The last time we made a law to postpone it was done through joint legislation and executive meeting. Now it is all on our own, so that takes so much time," Nograles said.
The 59-solon strong Mindanao bloc in the House earlier expressed their common and collective stand to postpone the barangay election this October and make it coincide with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) elections in September next year.
Nograles said holding two elections in one year is too expensive aside from the fact that the law clearly stated that the next national elections must be done by computerization.
"Two months from now we still can't do it (computerization) so we will be violating the law. Two national elections in one year is too much. Expenses of P2 billion for another election is something we can put to better use," Nograles said.
In a text message, Pimentel reasoned out though that the "elections set by law shouldn't be postponed for flimsy reasons."
The senator said he already agreed for the earlier postponement of the barangay election last year on assurance that no other delay would follow, thus he is no longer allowing a second postponement this time around.
As to the availability of funds, Pimentel said the budget department has told him there is money for the conduct of the barangay elections.
