Barangay elections

EDITORIAL

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) expects five million more voters will register for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls, which may be postponed to October 2017.

“It was estimated that there will be three million voters for the barangay and additional two million for SK or those aged 15 to 17 come election day,” Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said Friday.

Around 85 million voters have signed up for the barangay and SK elections originally set on Oct. 31. Bautista said the poll body may resume voter’s registration from October this year to April 2017.  

“It is important to give voters a chance to register because election is a vital part of our democracy,” he said. The Comelec is planning to hold voter’s registration in barangays to reach out to more prospective voters.

This, as voting 218-4, the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading a bill moving the synchronized elections to October next year.  

The Senate, with a vote of 20-2, passed its own version of the postponement measure.  “This is a welcome development. Although we knew where Congress is going, a law must be passed. This will give us more time to prepare for the elections,” Bautista said.