Barangay, SK elections

EDITORIAL

The Commission on Elections, under fire at the heels of the May 13 elections, wants to postpone the October barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to late next year or early 2015.

According to Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr., postponing the barangay and SK elections to a later date will give the poll body time to deal with protests following the recently concluded midterm elections.

The poll chief prefers the barangay and SK elections to be moved to October 2014 or to January 2015.

Postponing the elections, however, would mean amending the law that required the barangay and SK polls to be held on the last Monday of October. According to Republic Act No. 9164, synchronized barangay and SK elections shall be held "on the last Monday of October and every three years thereafter."

Brillantes said they would endorse bills in Congress seeking for such postponement. In the Senate, Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla has filed Senate Bill 3242, which aims to synchronize the barangay and SK elections with the May 2016 national and local elections.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. filed bill Senate Bill 2377, which seeks to postpone the polls to October 2015.

Brillantes has expressed apprehension over moving the barangay and SK elections in October 2015, saying it would be too close to the 2016 elections, which would include the presidential race.

The country just had its second automated national and local elections last May 13. 

Voters' registration nationwide started July 22, and ended July 31.The Comelec, in a resolution, allowed registrants 18 years old on or before the October 28, 2013 barangay elections to queue in the express lane.

Based on the observation of Comelec, the big influx of registrants at the offices of election registrars were not first- time voters, but registered voters applying for transfer of their registrations to other barangays, municipalities or cities.

The poll body noted that some applicants secured police clearances solely for having a valid document as proof of their identity to have their applications for registration/transfer accepted.

To maximize the participation of first-time voters, in accordance with the primary purpose of the system of continuing registration of voters, and in order that only applications for registration of those identities have been truly established are accepted, the Comelec ruled to exclude police clearance from the list of valid documents as proof of identity.

With chaos marking the just-concluded registration of voters, poll officials are eyeing a review of rules and procedures as well as sanctions against those who provided false proof of identity or who had registered more than once.

Thousands swarmed Comelec offices last Tuesday and Wednesday to beat the deadline for registration for the barangay and SK elections set in October.

The Comelec said many of the registrants appeared to have been goaded into registering by some candidates in the barangay polls.

There were reports that many of the registrants were informal settlers who had been promised protection from relocation.

The Comelec said a review of procedures would help them spot provisions in the rules and procedures against double or multiple registration.

The poll body said it is studying if those who had multiple registration would sanctioned. The applications for voter’s registration will be reportedly be evaluated first by the Election Registration Board so the Comelec would be able to know those who have double or multiple registrations to cleanse voter’s lists.

As part of procedure, the ERB will schedule a hearing and seek explanation from those found with more than one registration.