ILOILO City – The regional convention of the Liga ng mga Barangay in Western Visayas will discuss a proposal to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to 2024.
Liga ng mga Barangay-Iloilo City president Irene Ong said the coronavirus pandemic may linger until 2023.
“Kon pwede ipaisol sa 2024”, Ong told city hall reporters.
The Liga ng mga Barangay in this city are scheduled to convene on Dec. 6 to Dec. 8 at the Iloilo Convention Center. Around 150 punong barangays have so far registered to join the convention, which according to Ong, is not compulsory, and would depend if the barangay has the budget.
They would also tackle the “poor” extension of financial assistance to the barangays, especially during the pandemic.
“Kami ang sa forefront subong sang pademya. Pero ang hazard pay sa amon pa ‘ya budget kuhaon, indi sa national. Ti halos tanan nga barangay gamay ang budget,” said Ong.
SK officials will also join the convention.
Earlier, a measure seeking to postpone the barangay elections has been filed at the House of Representatives.
In filing House Bill 10425, Davao Oriental’s Rep. Joel Almario said the resulting extended term of the current barangay and SK officials will provide the fresh set of national and local officials, elected only on May 9, 2022, a “mechanism of continuity” in the ongoing fight against the pandemic.
In 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11462, or the postponement of the May 2020 barangay and SK elections to December 2022.
Under the law, village elections after the December 2022 will subsequently take place on the first Monday of December 2025 and every three years thereafter.(with PNA/PN)
