• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Presidential sister and Senator Imee Marcos expressed increased optimism for the passage of her legislative measure seeking a fixed six-year term for barangay officials, including members of the Sangguniang Kabataan, following the filing of a counterpart bill in the House of Representatives.
In a statement, Senator Marcos said the proposed measure limits barangay officials to only two consecutive terms in the same position.
Marcos stresses the current term of three years is “far too short for these officials to see their own projects through,” since they spend the greater portion of their terms implementing the policies and projects of the national and local governments.
She added that the myriad responsibilities and roles of barangay officials, described by the senator as “front liners” of government service, such as those of mediator, peacemaker, social worker, and rescue worker, and in the planning and implementation of government policies, plans, programs, and projects have unfortunately hindered their chance to formulate and implement their own projects.
As of August 14, 2024, a total of 857 barangay, city/municipal, and provincial resolutions from different parts of the country have expressed support for Marcos’ legislative measure, with some urging the Lower House to follow the senator’s lead.
The statement added that 107 resolutions from SK chapters nationwide have likewise formally endorsed Marcos’ Senate Bill No. 2707, which was filed on June 5 this year, that proposes to synchronize the SK elections with the May 8, 2028 national and local elections.*