Election Lawyer Atty. Romy Macalintal said the Supreme Court (SC) already learned its lesson after granting his petition to declare the law postponing the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) unconstitutional.
Macalintal has been loud in opposing the postponement of BSKE, which is slated in October this year.
The petition was filed last year by Macalintal and Attys. Alberto N. Hidalgo, Aluino O. Ala, Agerico A. Avila, Ted Cassey B. Castello, Joyce Ivy C. Macasa, and Frances May C. Realino (Atty. Hidalgo, et al.) assailing the constitutionality of Republic Act No. 11935 (RA 11935), or “An Act Postponing the December 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 9164, as amended, Appropriating Funds therefor, and for Other Purposes.”
From the initial schedule of December 5, 2022, to the last Monday of October 2023 of the postponement of the election, SC now recognized the legal practicality and necessity of proceeding with the conduct of the BSKE on the last Monday of October 2023, pursuant to the operative fact doctrine.
The decision was penned by Associate Justice Antonio T. Kho, Jr.
“Dapat talagang pangalagaan natin ang Karapatan ng ating mga mamamayan, tayong mga botante sa ating Karapatan na maghalal ng ating mga leaders ng atign pamahalaan. Ang Karapatan na ’yan ay hindi pwedeng basta-bastang alisin sa atin ng walang anomang kadahilanan,” said Macalintal in an interview with DZRH Dos por Dos=.
Macalintal said that the reason for postponements is ‘political consideration.’
