Press Release
August 30, 2016

Co-Sponsorship Speech of Sen. Juan Miguel F. Zubiri
On SB No. 1112 under Committee Report No. 1

"An Act Postponing the October 2016 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 9164, As Amended by Republic Act No. 9340 and Republic Act No. 10656, And for Other Purposes" 30 August 2016

Mr. President, l thank the Chairperson of the Committee on Local Government, Sen. Sonny Angara for graciously allowing this representation to co-sponsor Senate Bill No. 1112 under Committee Report No. 1, or an Act Postponing the October 2016 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.

Many would ask, why postpone it, if the Comelec is already prepared for the conduct of the said elections this year? Why postpone it if budget is already available? Why postpone it if the barangay and local leaders are already anticipating it?

Mr. President, in some cases, it is not only a matter of preparation or budget but right timing as well. The bill on the floor is one of the exceptions to the general rule. The Committee has been prudent in postponing the Barangay and SK elections to only one year, meaning by last Monday of October 2017, we will proceed with these elections. I believe that is the right time for the said elections.

May I explain why? As we all know, there are bills filed extending the term of the barangay and SK officials from three (3) years to five (5) years. There are also suggestions to clearly define the roles and functions of the barangay officials in light of the war on drugs by the current administration. After the initial efforts of the President and national law enforcement agencies, the PNP, PDEA and NBI, on the war on drugs, this will have to be sustained down to the municipal and barangay level. The PDEA and PNP have identified, down to the barangay level, the infiltration of the drugs menace in the country. We should enlist the cooperation of barangay and SK officials in this campaign, thus, a review of their roles and functions as specified in the Local Government Code is necessary. Moreover, to allow the elections to push-through this October, will necessarily slow down the current administration's campaign against illegal drugs.

Similarly, there are also discussions on the modes of removal from the office of the erring barangay and SK officials as well as call to review the powers and responsibilities of the barangay official in traffic management, especially in Metro Manila and other highly urbanized localities. I expect that these issues will also be tackled in the discussion on the bills granting emergency powers to the President to solve the traffic and transportation problems in the country.

With the postponement of the barangay and SK elections from October this year to October 2017, this will allow Congress and your Committee on Local Government in particular, to have sufficient time to tackle all these bills and issues pertaining to barangay and SK officials, their tenure, powers, functions and responsibilities. And by the time we conduct the election next year, we can have a reform measure concerning the barangay officials or an amendment to the Local Government Code. With the foregoing reasons Mr. President, I call on our distinguished colleagues to immediately pass this bill.

Thank you very much.

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