House OKs bill postponing barangay, SK elections

MANILA – The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading the measure postponing the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections next year.


In a 194-6 voting on Monday evening, the members of the lower chamber approved House Bill 4933, which proposes to have the barangay and SK polls rescheduled to Dec. 5, 2022.


The House’s approved bill was amended to synchronize with the Senate’s version after the former initially proposed to postpone next year’s barangay and SK elections to May 2023.


“The 2020 barangay and SK polls are postponed to a later date in order to allow the incumbent village officials to continue implementing various policies and complete programs that they just started as funds have just been made available, for a more sustainable development of the barangays,” stated on the House bill.


Subsequent barangay and SK elections will be held on the first Monday of December 2025 and every three years thereafter with the term of office of elected barangay and SK polls will start on Jan. 1, 2023.


Incumbent barangay and SK officials will remain in office until their successors have been duly elected and qualified.


President Rodrigo Duterte, during his fourth State of the Nation Address last July, personally asked the Congress to prioritize the bill postponing the 2020 barangay and SK elections.


If signed into law, it will be the third time that the barangay and SK elections will be postponed under the Duterte administration./PN

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