ILOILO City – Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV does not see any chance for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, scheduled on May 14, to be postponed.
“Kahapon pa ang last day namin at naka-recess na po kami,” Aquino told the local press on Friday. “Wala talagang paraan para ma-postpone pa ang ating barangay and SK elections.”
The House of Representatives has voted to postpone the elections for the third time under the Duterte administration.
Without a counterpart vote from the Senate, no law postponing the elections may be passed, Aquino said.
“Wala pong counterpart (bill) sa Senate,” he said. “[Ang] SK and barangay elections, tuluy-tuloy na.”
Aquino hit media reports on the passage of the postponement measure at the House that did not mention that there was no counterpart bill in the Senate.
The senator said these reports may have “confused” those seeking barangay and SK positions, and incumbent council leaders.
Aquino hopes more youths will seek SK positions now that he said the youth council system has been reformed.
Under the SK Reform Act of 2015, registered voters aged 15 to 30 years old may vote for SK candidates while those aged 18 to 24 years old may run for SK positions.
Those related to incumbent SK officials until the second civil degree of affinity or consanguinity cannot run for any youth council position, the law stated.
“We are hoping na maging aktibo po sila (new SK officials), maging relevant iyong proyekto (in their communities),” said Aquino./PN
