MANILA – The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed on final reading a measure seeking to postpone the Dec. 5, 2022 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) for one year.
With 265 affirmative votes, six negative votes, and three abstentions, the chamber approved on third reading House Bill 4673, which proposes to allow the deferment of this year’s BSKE and move its date to the first Monday of December 2023.
Under the measure, the subsequent synchronized BSKE was also set on the first Monday of December 2026 and every three years thereafter.
Once passed into law, incumbent barangay and SK officials will retain their position on holdover capacity “unless sooner removed or suspended for cause.”
House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe earlier said Speaker Martin Romualdez is supportive of the proposal because this would allow the Commission and Elections (Comelec) and the local government units to better prepare for clean and orderly barangay polls and provide the government ample time to apply corrective adjustments to the honoraria of poll workers. (PNA)
