BACOLOD City officials are in favor of moving the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to October 2022.
Bacolod City Lone District Representative Greg Gasataya said Tuesday, July 29, he’s in favor the postponement of barangay and elections to October 2022 instead of May 2020.
He said he’s also planning to co-author a bill this week to move the barangay elections to 2022.
“The barangay and SK officials were just elected for two years so it’s too short and they need more time so they can implement their programs for their constituents. I personally favor to move the barangay and SK elections,” he added.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia also said that he’s in favor of the postponement of the barangay and SK elections.
“I believe, what is ideal is they should be also serving at about the same number of years as the local officials. If I had my way, I would even like to see the barangay captains elected with the city officials because the claim that the barangays are apolitical is the biggest hypocrisy in Philippine politics,” he said.
On July 22, in his State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Rodrigo Duterte called on Congress to move the barangay and SK elections to October 2022 instead of May 2020.
Duterte said postponing the polls will address truncated terms of incumbent barangay officials and give them ample time to implement their programs and projects.
In October 2017, President Duterte signed Republic Act 10952 postponing the Oct. 23, 2017 synchronized polls to the second Monday of May 2018.
The law states that the next elections shall be held on May 2020, reducing the terms of candidates who won the May 2018 elections to only two years, instead of three years as mandated by the previous law. (MAP)