Bicam approves synchronized barangay, SK polls on July 8

A bicameral conference committee approved last night the holding of both the barangay ang Sangguniang Kabataan elections on July 8.

The compromise agreement was hammered after more than four hours of hard bargaining between the two chambers that had differing views on the two elections.

The Senate wanted the barangay elections to be held this May as scheduled and that only the SK polls, also scheduled this May, should be moved to November. The House, on the other hand, had approved a bill that would reset both elections to November.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, a member of the Senate panel, said that the bicameral meeting, held at the Manila Hotel, started rather heatedly at 3 p.m. but a final form was finally agreed upon at 7:30 p.m.

The other members of the Senate panel were Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Sen. Ralph Rector and Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

Those in the House contingent included House Minority Leader Carlos Padilla and Representatives Arthur Defensor, Cho Roco, Douglas Cagas, Enrique Garcia, Jose Carlos Lacson, Celso Lobregat, Benasing Macarambon Jr. and Teodoro Locsin Jr.

The agreement was reached after the Commission on Elections assured the bicameral body that it can handle two simultaneous elections in July. The two panels endorsed the increased of the Comelec budget for the elections from P1.1 billion to P1.4 billion as the poll body needed additional expenses for the two elections. The P1.1-billion budget was initially for the barangay elections only.

Angara said that postponing a mandated elections is anathema to democratic principles but he stressed that in the choice between barangay and SK elections, the latter should be the one postponed as the barangay elections had been postponed a number of times.

The elections would be held at a time when classes have already started. Pangilinan said that the Comelec would come out with a directive that would enable students to participate in the electoral exercise.

The SK elections would be participated in by citizens at least 15 but not more than 21 years of age. Those aged 18 and above are qualified to vote in the barangay elections. There were some concerns that simultaneous SK and barangay elections would force those aged 18 to 21 to vote twice.

Those elected in the July 8 elections would serve for a term of five years. The next elections would be held on the second Monday of October 2007, but the terms of those elected would henceforth be for three years only.

Speaker Jose de Venecia hailed the decision as a "product of back-channel efforts" involving both the majority and minority parties in Congress.

"The consensus reflects the desire of both the majority and the minority to agree on issues of national importance," he said.

De Venecia said the government will generate savings of up to P1.5 billion as a result of the synchronization of the elections.

He added it will also enable some eight million youth voters to register for the July elections " and express their collective voices in the ballot."