THE House of Representatives approved on third and final reading on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, a measure seeking the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

With 264 affirmative, six negative and three abstention votes, the House approved House Bill (HB) 4637, or the act postponing the synchronized barangay and SK elections from December 5, 2022 to December 4, 2023.

Subsequent barangay and SK polls shall be held on the first Monday of December 2026 and every three years thereafter.

“Today’s approval of the measure affirms the House’s resolve to approve HB No. 4673 by October 1, 2022 and have it signed by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. before the scheduled December 5, 2022 barangay and SK elections,” the House said.

Under the bill, incumbent officials will have an extended term pending the conduct of the election.

Officials who will be elected in the polls will assume office on January 1, 2024.

The measure is a consolidation of 38 bills filed at the lower chamber.

Lawmakers argued that the P8-billion budget allocated for the holding of the election can instead be used for the country’s prevailing pandemic response.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Garcia earlier warned that moving the election to a later date would mean additional costs of around P5 billion. (SunStar Philippines)