POLL PERIOD STARTS. Aspiring candidates from Quezon City file their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City on Aug. 28, 2023. The filing of COCs signals the start of the election period. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has declared Oct. 30, a Monday, a special non-working day to allow Filipinos to cast their votes in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) elections.
“It is imperative that the people be given the full opportunity to participate in the said elections and exercise their right of suffrage,” according to his proclamation, which was made public on Wednesday.
The Supreme Court has greenlighted the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to proceed with the conduct of the BSKE scheduled on Oct. 30, 2023, as previously provided for under Republic Act (RA) 11935.
RA 11935, signed by Marcos on Oct. 10 last year, moves the holding of BSKE from Dec. 5, 2023 to the last Monday of October 2023.
On Oct. 9, the Comelec said it is almost a hundred percent done in its preparation for the polls, noting that it targets to finish the delivery of all accountable forms nationwide this week.
The Comelec is also scheduled to have its final briefing for the upcoming BSKE on Oct. 20.
Higher voter turnout seen
The poll body, meanwhile, welcomed the declaration saying it would help achieve its goal of a 75 percent voter turnout.
"We actually hoped that October 31 will also be included (in the proclamation). Whenever the non-working days are long, the people will go home to their provinces and make sure they'll be able to cast their votes," Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said in an interview.
He added that they want to surpass the voter turnout recorded in the 2018 BSKE which was about 70 percent.
Based on Comelec data, there are a total of 67,839,700 registered voters for the barangay elections while the number of registered youth voters are at 23,254,129. (with report from Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
