Brgy, SK polls likely to be postponed—Villar
Senate President Manuel Villar yesterday said the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections set on Oct 29 would likely be postponed after senators who had earlier opposed any delay in the polls "changed their minds."
Villar said in an interview that while most of the senators had opposed the postponement during an earlier Senate caucus, some senators now are keen on postponing the elections "probably because of the lobbying done by congressmen, governors and mayors."
The Senate earlier rejected proposals to move the elections after the House on September 17 approved House Bill No. 2417 which sought the postponement of the elections to May next year.
Villar had said that he had wanted the elections to push through because the two elections had been postponed twice – in 2005 and 2006. The last barangay and SK elections were held in 2002.
Sen. Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, favors the postponement of the elections to give the Commission on Elections enough time to prepare for the planned pilot test of an automated poll system.
Villar said the Senate will adopt whatever is decided during the plenary this week.
He said the final decision would be known by Wednesday, the last day of the chamber's session before Congress will go in a recess.
"The final decision will be known by Wednesday. If we cannot approve anything by Wednesday then the elections will push through," said Villar.