BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – The The election officer here, lawyer Kathrina Trinio Caña said she has not received any order yet from the national office of the Commission on Elections on postponing the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections scheduled this coming 5 December, 2022 despite suggestions to postpone its holding to May 2024.
Caña said people continue to flock to their satellite offices to register or be reactivated as voters eight days before registration ends.
In 2016, the barangay and SK elections were deferred to 2018 but was moved again by then President Rodrigo Duterte through a law providing for the holding onlf the village polls on May 2020, and the youth council later in December of that year.
There are around 4,000 voter applicants now in Bacolod since the registration opened in 4 July 2022.
She added that they can only cater to 550 registrants a day excluding senior citizens, Persons with Disabilities and heavily pregnant women.
The Commission on Elections last Tuesday echoed the take of House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez that postponing this year’s barangay and SK elections would save the government a lot of money as this would cost P8.6B.
