Youth representation might be taking a hit amid yet another postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections this year, a Kabataan party-list officer said, adding that incumbent SK officials have been in office for four years, and age and shifting priorities have caught up with their extended term, harming the council’s capacity to implement programs.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act (RA) 11935 on October 12, which moved the election of barangay and SK officials from December 2022 to October 2023. The last local elections were held on May 14, 2018. The elected officials, who were only supposed to serve until June 30, 2020, have been in a hold-over capacity for over two years now.
“Halimbawa na ako, yung mga kasama ko sa konseho ay may sarili nang pamilya, may mga nagtatrabaho sa ibang lugar. Mahirap na mag-conduct ng meetings, mahirap na sila pauwiin dito, at dumalo sa kung anumang activities natin,” said Mia Angela Simon, Kabataan party-list vice president for Luzon and an incumbent SK chairperson.
The legislators who sponsored the law cited the need to roll out reforms on barangay and SK officials, such as extending their term of office from three to five years. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, one of the proponents of the election postponement, said there is a need to reallocate election funds toward COVID-19 response. He also noted that the moving election date would give voters time to heal from the “polarizing” May 2022 election.
Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, along with the rest of the Makabayan bloc, opposed the postponement of the local elections, citing the need to fill 34,000 vacant SK positions across the country as some officials have already resigned to support themselves and their family’s needs.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte signed RA 11768 in May to reform the structure of the SK. One of the law’s components is to allocate at most 25 percent of the annual SK budget for the officials’ honorarium. Supplemental compensation such as social welfare contributions and hazard pay may also be given to SK personnel.
“Kahit na implemented na itong RA 11768, pero kung ang pipiliin ng mga kasama namin ay ang mga work nila, so wala rin siyang epekto. Kung sana noon pa nagawa, at na-implement na ang RA 11768, hindi na nila need na magtrabaho sa ibang lugar, and meron talaga silang choices na manatili bilang SK at ituloy ang pag-serve,” Simon said.
After Marcos signed the election postponement to law, poll watchers and other groups immediately challenged the measure. Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal petitioned the Supreme Court to void RA 11935. Macalintal argued that Congress overstepped the jurisdiction of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to postpone the polls or declare failure of elections. The court held arguments on the petition last October 21.
The court has ordered COMELEC and the Office of the President to submit their comments to Macalintal’s petition. The case remains pending before the high court. But until the law is struck down, the barangay and SK elections slated in December will remain postponed.
“Na-invalidate yung karapatan natin dahil demokratiko nating karapatan yung bumoto. Hindi dapat pa-iba-iba ang araw ng halalan. Hindi na active ang ilang youth sector ng bansa kasi pilay na rin yung SK council,” Simon said. ●
