Voters cast their votes in a file photo.
MANILA — Malacañang remains firm in its position not to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
President Rodrigo Duterte has mentioned that he will not allow the postponement of the October polls because doing so would extend the term of current Barangay and SK officials.
The Commission on Elections hopes that Congress will be able to decide whether to postpone the Barangay and SK elections before August 21.
“Come August 21, we will start printing the ballots for Barangay and SK. If they decide to postpone, then they would ask to change the ballots, that’s additional expenses,” said COMELEC Chair Andres Bautista.
Bautista says some legislators have already coordinated with him in line with the postponement issue.
One of the questions raised was the costs of savings should the Barangay and SK polls be held coinciding with the constitutional convention.
“They’re also asking us the amount. How much would be the difference between if you hold it separately versus simultaneously? And the number that is being advised is 6 to 7 billion. That’s the amount that you would save,” Bautista said.
For now, COMELEC has no reason to defer the preparations that they are doing for the elections.
“Whatever actions that are relevant to this issue, for example, ConCon, ultimately, a law is still needed that would order COMELEC to postpone the polls because of various concerns. Without such law, we cannot do it on our own initiative,” said Dir. James Jimenez, COMELEC spokesperson.
(NEL MARIBOJOC/UNTV NEWS & RESCUE)
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