PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III wants the barangay elections to push through as scheduled this October.
Briefing mediamen in Malacanang, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the President does not see any compelling reason to defer the barangay elections on October 25 this year.
“Regarding the barangay elections, the preference of the President is for the barangay elections to push through in October,” Lacierda said.
To save on funds, Lacierda said the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is proposing the synchronization of the barangay polls with the national elections on May 2013.
The DILG is also proposing the election of only one Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) representative instead of eight in the barangay council.
Senator Miguel Zubiri and House minority leader Rep. Edcel Lagman have filed separate bills seeking the postponement of this year’s barangay and SK polls to October 2012.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is earmarking at least P3.2 billion for the October 25 barangay elections in some 43,000 villages in the country. (PIA-Bohol)
