A LOCAL elected official and a poll official said that they were hoping for President Rodrigo Duterte to include in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) last Monday whether the barangay and youth elections will push through this year or not.
Duterte, however, did not mention anything about the elections.
In a text message, Cebu Provincial Board (PB) Member Celestino Martinez III said he had hoped that Duterte would update the nation about the status of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan election, which is supposed to be held in October this year.
“I guess the stand of the President is and has always been clear. He wants a postponement of the elections because of the pending issue concerning some officials being allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade,” said Martinez.
Martinez, who is the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay (LMB) in Cebu, said that it will be up to Congress and Senate to decide on the barangay and SK elections.
For his part, Cebu Provincial Election Officer Ferdinand Gujilde said that he had wanted Duterte to mention the status of the barangay and SK elections so that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) could also finalize its preparation.
Gujilde said he had wanted to hear from Duterte if he plans to make urgent the plan to postpone the barangay and SK elections.
As of yesterday, the Comelec started the printing of ballots and other elections paraphernalia. (JKV)