THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has received flak from the public following moves to postpone the conduct of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, which are set to be held on October 31.
The Comelec’s social-media account has been receiving messages from numerous individuals bashing the poll body for its obvious hesitation to fulfill its constitutional mandate to oversee the conduct of peaceful and orderly elections in the country.
But Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez denied this and said the Comelec is still pushing through with its preparations unless Congress decides to postpone it.
Jimenez added that the poll body should not be blamed for moves to delay the holding of the barangay and youth polls as they are only implementing the law.
“We will abide by the law. It is only Congress who can postpone elections,” Jimenez said.
The postponement of the barangay and SK elections is being sought by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who has already filed a bill seeking to delay the process until October 2018.
Similarly, House Bill 6420 of Pasay City Rep. Emi G. Calixto-Rubiano seeks to reset the forthcoming elections to October 2018 and is still pending in the Lower House.
In a statement last Friday, Senate President Aquilino L. Pimentel III said he would propose to the Senate to reset this year’s October 31 barangay and SK polls for at least one year.
Jimenez said the decision to postpone the barangay and SK elections will be up to the Legislative branch.
The poll official said they are continuing their preparations for the holding of the barangay and youth elections with the printing of ballots for the SK on September 1.
Last week the Comelec started the printing of the official ballots to be used in the barangay elections.