Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District) said the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms voted 12-2 on Tuesday, August 16, to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) from Dec. 5, 2022, to Dec. 4, 2023.
Ferrer, committee vice chairperson, authored House Bill 00121 seeking the postponement of the BSKE to May 2023.
There were 31 bills filed for the postponement of the BSKE polls to dates ranging from May 2023, October 2023, December 2023, May 2024, October 2024, and December 2025, she said.
The bills were consolidated and a common date was agreed on, Ferrer said.
Commission on Elections chairman George Garcia informed the committee that postponing the BSKE for at least year will entail an additional cost of P5 billion as it would require more poll workers, precincts, and election paraphernalia because of additional registered voters.
“If we postpone it to March or December 2023, we will have to continue registration of new voters. This will mean additional voters, additional ballots, additional teachers, additional precincts, additional election paraphernalia,” Garcia said.
The last BSKE was held on May 14, 2018.*