House wants Oct. polls moved to May next year

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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Sunday , September 10, 2017
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ILOILO City – Majority of House representatives want the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on Oct. 23 this year postponed, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said.

They want the elections moved to May next year, Alvarez told reporters in Guimbal, Iloilo.

Alvarez, secretary-general of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan, was in the town to lead the mass oath-taking of new ruling party members.

“Iyong majority caucus namin, napagkasunduan namin na iyong elections natin ipagpaliban sa May 2018,” he said.

A House bill pushing for the postponement was approved on second reading. It is expected to get approved on third and final reading this week.

But the houses of Congress have yet to agree on the new date.

The Senate version of the bill reschedules the elections to October next year, Alvarez said.

Amid proposals to postpone the elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) set the start of the election period on Sept. 23, based on Resolution No. 10191 that was promulgated on Aug. 11.

The filing of certificates of candidacy shall be from Sept. 23 to 30 and the campaign period, from Oct. 13 to 21, Comelec said.

Prohibited acts during the election period include:

• alteration of territory of a precinct or establishment of a new precinct

• carrying of firearms or other deadly weapons; use of security personnel or bodyguards by candidates; and coercing, threatening, intimidating, or terrorizing any election official or employee in the performance of his election functions or duties

• transfer or detail officers and employees in the civil service, including public school teachers; organizing or maintaining reaction forces, strike forces or similar forces; and suspension of any elective provincial, city, municipal, or barangay officer

Prohibited acts during the campaign period include:

• removing, destroying, obliterating, defacing, tampering, or preventing distribution of lawful election propaganda

• making any donation or gift in cash or in kind

• appointing or using special policemen, special/confidential agents or the like; and using armored land, water or air craft

• policemen and provincial guards acting as bodyguards or security guards of public official or candidates

• construction or maintenance of barangay funded roads and bridges; and appointment or hiring of new employees, creation of new position, promotion, giving salary increases, remuneration or privileges./PN
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