ILOILO City – Should the Dec. 5, 2022 barangay election be postponed?
The 180 punong barangays here are divided on the matter.
According to Liga ng mga Barangay city federation president Irene Ong, some support the postponement while others want the election to push through.
“Gusto man namon eleksyon para mabal-an man namon kon ang mandate namon ara pa sa mga tawo. Pero iban nga kapitan indi gusto kay kuno wala natapos ang ila mga plano para sa barangay,” said Ong.
Leyte’s Cong. Richard Gomez filed House Bill No. 937 seeking the postponement of the Dec. 5, 2022 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to Dec. 5, 2023.
The one-year delay will give the national government a “financial breathing room”, citing the recent May 2022 national elections.
Funds for the elections could be used to prop up the ailing agriculture sector, he said.
Agriculture is a priority of the new President, Gomez added.
Ong said she is personally in favor of the postponement.
“Okay kon may eleksyon para mabal-an ta kon gusto pa sang tawo sa aton or indi na,” Ong said.
But Ong also acknowledged the sentiments of other village chiefs that a three-year term is too short to complete their plans and projects.
“Ti kon ma-eleksyon ta, mauntat,” said Ong.
In a recent interview, city Liga spokesperson Roberto Niño said they would leave it to Congress to decide on the matter.
There were other calls to reschedule the elections to May 2024 or December 2025.
The national government has allocated some P8 billion budget for this election.
If the postponement pushes through, this would the second such time.
In 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11462 or the postponement of the May 2020 barangay and SK elections to December 2022.
Niño, punong barangay of Calumpang, Molo district, admitted he would prefer the elections to push through to give chance to others to serve the barangay.
He noted that he has been in public service for 21 years already, to include his six years as SK (1996-2002) officer, three years as barangay kagawad (2007-2010) and punong barangay from 2010 to present.
“Ginapatapos ko na lang akon term sa pagka-kapitan,” said Niño, adding that he may pursue another career after his term ends./PN
