Hearings on barangay, SK polls next week (5:37 p.m.)

MANILA -- The House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms is set to conduct hearings on the proposal to postpone the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections next week as President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III announced intentions to push through as scheduled this October.

Suffrage committee chair Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr. (fourth district, Cavite) said the committee hearing is scheduled on August 18 at 9:30 a.m.

The hearing will be attended by officials from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Department of Budget and Management and Liga ng mga Barangay, together with lawmakers who sought the postponement of the barangay and SK polls.

Representatives Anthony Golez (lone district, Bacolod City) earlier filed a House bill seeking the resetting of the said polls to October 2011. It was co-authored with boxing icon and Representative Manny Pacquiao (lone district, Sarangani).

Representative Gabriel Quisumbing (sixth district, Cebu) also filed a separate bill to defer the polls and reschedule it to October 2011. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)