Even as all is set and aspirants for the barangay polls slated on October 29 this year have long made preparations and collectively spent tremendous sums, the House of Representatives voted 149 to 50 to again postpone the elections to May 11, 2009.
House Bill 2417 will now go to the Senate but at presstime Senators wary of the real purpose of Speaker Jose de Venecia and not convinced of the justifications raised for the postponement have reportedly arrived at a consensus to reject the bill.
It means the barangay election will proceed on October 29 as scheduled once the Senate formalizes its stand or simply deliberately not act on the bill during the next few weeks.
The bill was strongly opposed by several administration and opposition congressmen including Camarines Sur Rep. Luis R. Villafuerte, Kampi National President; Nueva Viscaya Rep. Carlos Padilla, Taguig Pateros Rep. Lani Cayetano, Nueva Ecija Rep. Eduardo Nonato Joson, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, North Cotabato Rep. Bernard Piñol, Jr. and Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez.
Speaker de Venecia is believed bent on pushing once again the charter change issue involving a shift to the parliamentary system, the only chance for Speaker de Venecia to become the highest elective official of the land as prime minister. A loser in the 1998 presidential election by the biggest margin in the history of Philippine politics, the Speaker is believed planning to use the next barangay elections as simultaneous referendum on the charter change issue.
Those who supported the bill said some P2 billion that would be spent for the barangay election could be used to automate or computerize the election system.
But Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya, Jr. had announced that sufficient funds for the October 29 elections have been allocated under the 2007 General Appropriations
Act.
Congressman Villafuerte said that the government had spent more than P200 million to register some 8 million SK voters but if the barangay and SK elections are postponed for 2009 those aged 16 to 17 will not be able to vote anymore in 2009 for the SK.
Congressman Villafuerte also warned that allowing SK officers to continue to serve beyond their term would effectively repeal the age limit which would be unconstitutional.
He said that the intent of the constitutional provision limiting elective officials to three successive terms would also be violated by postponing the barangay election that was already deferred
in 2005.
Moreover, barangay election is an exercise in core grassroots democracy that must be encouraged and stabilized rather than suppressed or practically toyed with, Congressman Villafuerte also emphasized. Postponement would also be contrary to the need for public accountability on the part of barangay officials, he added.
Congressman Padilla said that SK election was last scheduled for 2005 but Congress postponed it for October 29 this year. Another postponement would mean overaged SK officers would be serving seven years.
Congresswoman Cayetano considered the move a bad precedent that gives tendency to more postponements.
“It is undemocratic and leads to abuse,” she said.
Congressman Piñol called the planned postponement a mockery of the electoral process.
Congressman Rodriguez observed that the House leadership railroaded approval by ignoring House rules which provides a 3-day period from second reading for approval before the third reading.
Congressman Joson lamented that by approving the bill congressmen have become lawbreakers from lawmakers.
