Barangay, SK poll, second priority
By Nidz Godino
“It is not yet certain if the bill seeking to postpone the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections scheduled in December will pass in the Senate as President Marcos has not certified it as urgent…there’s also issue of huge cost of deferring polls that will eventually be shouldered by taxpayers”, Sen. Imee Marcos chairs Senate committee on electoral reforms, said while her younger brother previously verbally told her that he wants polls postponed, he has not certified the bill as urgent.
She also noted that many of SK officers, who are supposed to represent youth, have become overaged for their posts and have found jobs as adults due to the numerous election postponements.
The senator sponsored earlier bill that seeks to postpone both barangay and SK elections to December 2023.
Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Go and Bong Revilla also co-sponsored the measure even as Commission on Elections (Comelec) has continued preparations for elections in the event bill is not passed.
Marcos said some of her colleagues and Cabinet officials balked at the huge cost of holding polls next year P18.5 billion as compared to P8.5 billion if it were to push through as scheduled by law passed by Congress few years ago.
“For me, I wish we just push through with it…but if we postpone, there must be changes in the system so that we don’t keep on postponing it,” she said.
“If that (postponement) is going to be the consensus, let’s think of the P18 billion,” she stressed.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia earlier told both Senate and House of Representatives in separate hearings increase in cost was due to the projected increase in the number of new voters, including those for SK, that would also lead to increases in number of poll precincts, materials, equipment and election officers.
Marcos pushed for reforms in SK to make it more responsive to the needs and concerns of the youth. The senator was the first chairperson of the defunct Kabataang Barangay, precursor of the SK.
Marcos recalled during her time, the focus of their work was on out-of-school youth, but today SK work has deteriorated to staging beauty contests, basketball tournaments and “educational tours.”
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