MARK Twain’s remark about politicians, like diapers, needing regular change may sound sharp, but it holds a simple truth. Leadership needs renewal. Without it, familiarity can turn into complacency, and accountability slowly fades. Worse, it becomes entitled. The point of elections is not to guarantee better leaders every time. It is to ensure that no one becomes too comfortable — even toxic and corrupt — in power without being asked to account for it.
This is why postponement, even if well-intentioned, carries a deeper risk. It protects incumbency by default. It delays accountability. It tells citizens, in subtle ways, that their role can wait. That is a dangerous message, especially at the grassroots level where governance is most visible and most personal. As election watchdogs like LENTE and NAMFREL have warned, repeated delays deprive voters of their most accessible accountability mechanism and disproportionately silence young leaders who may age out of eligibility before they even get the chance to serve.
At the same time, there are voices worth listening to with care. Iloilo Province’s young Liga ng mga Barangay President Amalia Victoria Debuque, once my student in Ateneo de Iloilo, shared that she is neither for nor against postponement, but for credible elections. That makes sense. Local officials work under real constraints that are easy to overlook. Her stance reflects prudence, not distance. But it also highlights the need to support them better.
At its core, the barangay should serve people — not politics. The law is clear on its mandate. The application, however, varies widely. Some barangays are models of participatory governance. Others struggle with transparency, documentation, and basic service delivery. That unevenness is precisely why elections matter. They allow communities to reward what works and reject what does not.
There is also a quieter, often overlooked benefit. Elections, even at the barangay level, create small but real economic movement. Printing shops, tricycle drivers, small eateries near campaign areas — all feel a bit of activity. It does not solve systemic poverty, but it circulates money in ways that are felt locally. More importantly, it reminds people that civic life is still active, not suspended.
At its core, this is not simply about choosing between cost and elections. It is a question of whether rules still mean what they say. If elections can be moved again for convenience, then what stops future postponements? If leaders can extend their stay without a fresh mandate, then what happens to accountability? The cost of postponement is not only measured in pesos. It is measured in trust, in participation, and in the quiet belief that systems still work as they should.
Perhaps it comes down to this. Barangay elections are long overdue — not just on paper, but in meaning. People are ready. They may not choose perfectly, but choosing still matters. Because democracy is not about always getting it right — it is about being allowed to decide, without delay.
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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with./PN
