The super majority of the House of Representatives has decided Monday afternoon the postponement of the conduct of Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections schedule on October 23,2017 to May of 2018.
With the vote of 104 against 96, the majority caucus decided for the postponement of this electoral process and make the incumbent barangay officials stay in their respective posts in a hold-over capacity.
In a long distance interview over RMN News Zamboanga, majority member Congressman Celso L. Lobregat revealed that prior to the final decision, there were several deliberations made and manifestations were also taken up during the caucus which was called by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and with House Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas presiding it.
“Definitely it will be postponed, it is good as done, definitely the incumbents will have a hold over capacity, it was very overwhelming in the house, as everyone present was also very apprehensive of appointing barangay officials, pecha ya lang decidi afterwards,” Lobregat said.
The main issue in the caucus was if the solons must agree or to postpone the elections, the majority was also asked of their opinions, but it was made very clear that majority of congressman were in favor of postponement. Only a few signified in favor not postponing it.
Lobregat said that when the second issue on appointment was raised, nobody stood in favor, but when asked about hold-over capacity, majority stood up and voted in favor.
There was a discussion about the options of the postponement in which Congressman Lobregat was called as one of those four proponents to justify their respective reasons why and when the Barangay and SK elections be postponed.
The four options were to conduct the electoral process on May 2020 as proposed by Rep. El Rey Villafuerte, Lobregat proposed an option to move it on October 2019, October of 2018 and May 2018 was also proposed by Congressman Rolando Andaya,Jr on the floor in which respective arguments were also raised by each proponent.
Congressman Lobregat said that he is favoring October 2019, for the reason that only a few remaining months from not until we have elections on May or October of 2018. It is very close to local elections. Doing it in 2019 is more favorable as elections of local officials are done and the period is not that long enough to retain incumbent barangay officials on post.
However, when the voting was done by the solons present, more than a hundred voted to hold the barangay elections on May 2018 while a close number of 96 voted in favor for October 2019.
