IN A bid to get the true pulse of voters, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will hold public hearings regarding proposals to postpone the October 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in Negros Oriental in each of its barangays.
In a statement, the Comelec said the public hearing series set later this June will be held in all the 557 barangays in the province.
"The Comelec is set to conduct public hearings in the Province of Negros Oriental this month of June," said the Comelec.
"The public hearings are set to be conducted in every city, municipality, and barangay of Negros Oriental," it added.
The poll body said the public hearings aim to assess the current situation, particularly the peace and order status, in the province.
"Thereafter, (we shall) determine the sentiments of its constituents relative to the proposal to postpone the upcoming BSKE in the said province," said the Comelec.
Last April, Senator Francis Tolentino proposed the postponement of the BSKE in Negros Oriental in a bid to provide momentum in the peacekeeping efforts there.
The call comes on the heels of the political killings in the province, including the assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.
The village and youth polls are set to be held nationwide on October 30. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)