MANILA, Philippines – Inihain sa Kamara ang isang panukala na naghihikayat na ipagpaliban ang December 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) sa kabila ng ruling ng Korte Suprema na ang naturang postponement ay “illegal.”
Ang House Bill (HB) No. 10344 na inihain ni Camarines Sur Representative Luis Villafuerte, ay naglalayong gawing Oktubre 26, 2026 ang susunod na BSKE mula sa iskedyul nitong Disyembre 1, 2025.
Ayon kay Villafuerta, ang pagsasagawa ng susunod na BSKE sa orihinal na schedule nito ay nangangahulugan ng mas maikling termino sa incumbent officials lalo pa’t ang BSKE ay isinagawa Oktubre noong nakaraang taon.
“This [shortened term] is tantamount to the impairment of the expectations from the incumbents of our electorate’s overall exercise of their right to suffrage,” ani Villafuerte.
“It diminishes the obligations of the incumbent BSK officials to serve their constituents, and lessens their accountabilities in the exercise of the power vested in them by the people’s free choice if they shall serve for only two years,” dagdag pa niya.
Sinabi ni Villafuerte na labag sa 1987 Constitutional provision at 1991 Local Government Code ang pinaikling termino na nagbibigay ng termino sa barangay at youth council officials ng tatlong taon.
Suportado nina Representatives Inno Dy of Isabela, Ernix Dionisio of Manila, at Jude Acidre of Tingog party-list ang proposal ni Villafuerte sa pagsasabing hindi sapat ang dalawang taong termino ng mga nanalo noong October 2023 BSKE para ipatupad ang mga prorama sa barangay.
“Two years really is very short because of previous postponements, and it takes some time to grow on the job,” ani Dy, dating barangay captain at dating resident ng Liga ng Barangay.
“This postponement is also to save government funds, because barangays spend a lot for training whenever there is a new set of elected officials.”
Para naman kay Dionisio, mayroon nang “mudslinging left and right” ngayon pa lamang dahil sa December 2025 BSKE.
“I go around my district all the time, and people are already talking about who will be the rivals for the next barangay elections. The focus is already there, instead of helping the community. There is mudslinging left and right. That is the sad reality of a short term of office,” aniya.
“It would be unfair for the elected officials to have a shortened term when they would have prepared for a three-year term,” sinabi naman ni Acidre.
“The way to move forward is for Congress to discuss the postponement bill and its implications. It’s good that there is already a bill about it,” dagdag pa nito.
Matatandaang idineklara ng Supreme Court ang Republic Act 11935, batas na nagpapaliban sa BSKE mula sa orihinal na schedule na December 5, 2022 sa huling Lunes ng Oktubre 2023, bilang unconstitutional. RNT/JGC
