Philippines Senate Approves Extension of Village, Youth Polls Term

THE Senate on Monday approved a measure extending the term of village and youth council officials to five years on third and final reading. Voting 13-5-0, the chamber passed Senate Bill No. 2387, which will also postpone the Nov. 2 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to the first Monday of November 2028 and every five years thereafter. “In a five-year term, our officials have more time to implement programs and projects that will truly benefit their communities,” Senator Francis Joseph “Chiz” G. Escudero, principal author of the bill, told the plenary. Its counterpart measure, House Bill No. 10971, has also secured third-reading approval. Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente C. Sotto III, Senators Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel, Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, and Francis Pancratius N. Pangilinan voted against the measure. Mr. Pangilinan, in his explanation of vote, maintained his stance that the Nov. 2 polls must continue, arguing that the postponement is a disservice to the youth. “Democracy does not grow stronger when it is delayed or postponed. It grows stronger when more citizens are given the opportunity to participate, take a stand, take action, and serve,” he said. Mr. Aquino has likewise pushed for the conduct of the BSKE on Nov. 2 due to its impact on the electoral participation of new aspiring youth council leaders. “In our conversations with current SK leaders, many of them actually want to move on to the next chapter of their lives. It is time to give the new generation of leaders a chance. That is why my decision is clear, the BSKE should proceed this November, and hence, I vote ‘no,’” Mr. Aquino said. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel