COMELEC sets public hearings on postponement of barangay and SK polls in NegOr on June 27-29

COMELEC 7 OIC Director Lionel Castillano| Wenilyn Sabalo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Commission on Election (COMELEC) will conduct a three-day public hearing in Negros Oriental on the proposals to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) in the province.

COMELEC Central Visayas director Lionel Castillano told Cebu media on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, that the result of the public hearing, along with a coordinating conference, which will be held simultaneously in all component cities and municipalities of the province on June 27 to June 29, will guide the Comelec en banc in deciding whether or not to postpone the 2023 barangay and SK elections in Negros Oriental.

Castillano said the idea to hold the public hearing and the coordinating conference came from the Senate during one of its hearings on the Degamo case.

Quoting the discussion on the senate hearing, Castillano said the Senate acknowledged that there is still episodic violence in the province even after the increased police presence due to the murder of Gov. Roel Degamo.

“Atong gipasabot nga this is not a political activity, so we have given limited time to say something and dili pod ni siya plebiscite nga mag ihap mi kung kinsay yes ug kinsay no. Ang amo ani is to gather information on the different sentiments and position of the different sectors of Negros Oriental,” Castillano said.

The final decision on whether to postpone the BSKE polls will come from the COMELEC en banc.

“The law requires certain grounds if there is a need for the elections to be postponed, such as serious harm threats, acts of terrorism, loss or unavailability of election paraphernalia or calamities which would prevent the COMELEC from conducting an orderly and peaceful election,” Castillano said.

Invited for the public hearings are the local government units, barangay officials, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, the public, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and the Department of Education to represent the teachers who will serve as the electoral board of election tellers during the election.

“Sad to say lang that most of our barangay officials would be in Manila at that time, but we have already asked them to send representatives and to submit position papers during the public hearing,” he said

Castillano said COMELEC had invited the AFP, PNP, the PPCRV, and the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce to speak at the coordinating conference.

Should the BSKE be postponed in Negros Oriental from the scheduled October 30 BSKE nationwide, Castillano said an election must be conducted in Negros Oriental within 30 to 90 days from the original date of the BSKE.

“The barangay officials must know, the public must know, that this is not an extension of their term. This is only a postponement of the election. So, if ever i-postpone, it will most probably, be December. So, 30 days thereafter,” he said.

“COMELEC has no power to extend their term…Dili ni pasabot nga i cancel na ang election and i extend na ang ilang term, only Congress could do that,” he added.

On matters of postponement, Castillano said this is the first time the COMELEC conducted a public hearing before the en banc can decide to postpone an election.

He said that there should usually be a declaration of failure of election before it could be postponed. He said this happened in 2010 in Bayawan City because of the inability of election paraphernalia to arrive on election day.    /rcg

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