Following the Supreme Court's (SC) order on the postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said on Wednesday that there were no compelling reasons to delay the October 2023 polls.
He stressed the significance of regular, periodic, fair, free, honest, and accurate elections as vital components of an inclusive and functioning democracy.
Pimentel said hat the verdict is a critical step in safeguarding the democratic process in the Philippines.
Agreeing with the SC, the Senate Minority Leader stated that the postponement damaged the constitutional rights of suffrage and weakened the foundation of our democratic institutions.
Pimentel is adamant that there was no compelling reason to ignore the legislation that reset the BSKE last December 2022.
"The Barangay and SK elections would have been a very good opportunity to conduct a referendum on the performance of the incumbent, especially in relation to their handling of the pandemic response," he said.
The Senate Minority Leader said that the higher's decision is a big step forward in defending democratic processes.
He bemoaned how the delay had denied an entire generation of potentially brilliant Filipino youth the opportunity to lead their industries through the SK system.
"This ruling by the Supreme Court will effectively prevent the recurring practice of postponing the barangay and SK elections to the detriment of the Filipino people and our democratic processes," Pimentel said.
However, Imee Marcos, chair of the Committee on Electoral Reforms, stated that the reasons for the BSKE postponement were valid notwithstanding the verdict.
She also claimed that the delay will save the government billions of pesos, citing the fact that elections, even those involving barangay and SK officials, are expensive.
With all of the responsibilities placed on barangay officials, Marcos noted that the current term of barangay and SK authorities is insufficient for them to develop, implement, and assess their own policies and programs.
On Monday, the high court declared that Republic Act No. 11935, or the Act postponing barangay and youth polls, is unconstitutional, but it ordered that the October polls go as planned.
According to the SC, there was a gross abuse of discretion in the enactment of RA 11935, resulting in a lack or excess of jurisdiction.
