A month is enough to pass law postponing barangay polls: Alvarez

March 27, 2017

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez expressed confidence there is enough time to pass a law to postpone the barangay elections and allow President Rodrigo Duterte to fill in the vacancies before the first regular session of the 17th Congress ends in June, a statement said Monday.

Currently on break, Congress will resume its sessions on May 2 until June 2 this year.

In a radio interview on Monday, Alvarez dismissed concerns Congress may not have enough time to pass the law to amend the Local Government for postponing the barangay elections scheduled for October this year.

Alvarez said even while Congress is in recess he has directed his staff to prepare the draft of a bill for the purpose so it can be filed in the House of Representatives when session resumes on May 2 and is calendared for discussion.

Alvarez said Congress needs to pass the amendatory law to authorize the Commission on Elections to postpone the October barangay polls.

Earlier, Duterte warned if the October barangay elections would push through many village officials with ties to the drug trade would likely get re-elected. Instead, the President said he wants the polls postponed and fill the vacant positions by appointment.

Alvarez believes the super-majority coalition in the House will support Duterte’s proposal, saying that he has not received any word expressing opposition against the idea from any member of the majority.

To ensure faster deliberation and approval of the proposal, Alvarez said he intends to talk to Department of Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel, III.

Duterte had admitted that his plan to appoint barangay officials to fill the vacant posts would be “quite messy” because incumbent barangay officials would likely oppose the move.

According to the president, the first requirement for a barangay officer-in-charge nominee is they should not have any connections with rebels. Second is they are not into drugs, and lastly, they are not leaders of politicians.

The president said he would accept nominations from the Catholic Church, from Islamic leaders, religious denominations and other organizations. DMS