DAVAO City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte opposed efforts to delay or abolish the barangay elections.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri has proposed moving the barangay election to 2012 instead of holding it on October 2010. Vice President Jejomar Binay also expressed its steady opposition on the conduct of elections.
Duterte said allowing the delay of elections in villages or barangays in the country would mean the government is not "keeping a democratic society."
"Precisely, leaders have to be chosen by the people. People are given the chance to elect their leaders in their areas. I do not favor the postponement for the barangay elections," Duterte said Tuesday.
Duterte also said he sees no reason for the delay of the barangay elections. "There's no insurgency, there's no war going on, there's no famine. Everybody is alive. Everybody can vote so I do not think a postponement would be wise."
Zubiri said postponing the barangay elections would give time for the barangay officials to extend their service to the people.
Zubiri has already submitted a legislative agenda on the extension to the Senate as he claimed that he already got a majority vote from local officials. "The extension would certainly give big favor to the elected barangay officials. This would give them time to show more what they've got," Zubiri said on Wednesday.
Zubiri's proposal had earned positive response from few barangay officials though some do not subscribe to the extension.
Meanwhile, Binay during his last visit in the city reiterated his call to postpone the conduct of elections for barangay officials and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) this year.
After a meeting with members of political party PDP-Laban here, Binay also insisted that barangay officials and SKs should not be elected, but appointed by the mayors.
Binay in earlier statements said holding the barangay and SK election this October would only add to the government's expenses.
"There's no need for village councilors. Electing them only adds to the expenses of the government," Binay said during his visit in the city last July 8. (Jade C. Zaldivar/Sunnex)