By: Ellson A. Quismorio
The House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted yesterday to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October 2017 to May 2018.
The congressmen during an all-member caucus led by House Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas also agreed to let the sitting village and youth officials remain in their posts.
“What was decided in the caucus was the postponement of the elections to May 2018 and the holdover of the current officials,” CIBAC party-list and chairperson of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms Rep. Sherwin Tugna said.
A law must be enacted to defer the polls this year. The elections have been postponed twice during President Duterte’s term.
Duterte asked Congress to defer the village and youth elections for the second time due to the deep influence of illegal drugs in the barangays.