By Katrina Gracia Consebido
President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Thursday, Oct. 20, said Congress has the authority to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to October 2023.
During the media interview after delivering his speech at the Philippine Business Conference and Exposition of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Marcos said they have enough guidelines to postpone the BSKE.
“Well, we have sufficient precedent for the postponement of Barangay and SK Elections. Nakailan na tayo. In my time lang in government, I have seen I think four, maybe five postponements,” Marcos said.
He reiterated that the Congress has the power to postpone the local elections as it is not covered by the Constitution, but by the Local Government Code.
“And so I think in terms of the law, it is well within the powers of Congress to postpone those elections because that is not contained in the Constitution. It is contained in the Local Government Code,” he added.
The President signed Republic Act No. 11935 on Oct.10, an act postponing the BSKE that was originally set on Dec.5 but was rescheduled on last Monday of Oct. 2023.
The new law mandates that until their successors have been duly elected and qualified, all incumbent barangay and SK officials shall retain their post unless sooner removed or suspended.
