DESPITE calls for the postponement of the barangay and youth election, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon believes it will still push through on October 25.
"The President has the last say on the election schedule," Marañon said.
Bacolod lone district Representative Anthony Golez, who earlier said he is in favor of the delay in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls, said the members of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms unanimously support the postponement of the upcoming elections and they are pushing to reschedule the electoral exercise in 2011.
"The issue on the postponement of the polls is going to be discussed in the plenary and it is going to be voted upon by all congressmen," Golez said.
However, if majority would say that it is going to be postponed, the President can veto the bill or sign it into law, said Golez.
"There is always check and balance," he added.
During the committee hearing, Comelec said it will be ideal if the issue is resolved by the first or second week of September so that it will have ample time to finalize preparations for the polls.
Representative Alfredo Marañon III (second district, Negros Occidental) said they are hoping to pass the bill for the postponement of the barangay polls before October 25.
"Without Congress acting on postponement, the executive will assume that there will be elections on October 25," Representative Marañon said.
The postponement is one of the measures being given priority by Congress at this time, he added.
Representative Mercedez Alvarez (sixth district, Negros Occidental) said the House committee is expected to consolidate all the proposals relative to the postponement of the barangay polls on Monday. (TED)