• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said yesterday that he is in favor of the possible postponement of the Barangay and Sanguniang Kabataan (BSK) Election to give current officials their exact triennium term.
According to Lacson, the reason behind the bill regarding the postponement of upcoming elections is that the present officials, both from barangay and SK, are only serving their second year.
“I am in favor of allowing them to serve for at least three years because that’s the normal number of years per term,” Lacson said.
The Commission on Elections is currently waiting for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to sign the bill, postponing the election to next year, on August 12
Comelec-Negros Island Region Director Atty. Lionel Marco Castillano said that they are eyeing the possibility that someone would file a petition at the Supreme Court questioning the unconstitutionality of the bill. If the court will not grant a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) favoring the petition, the election will move next year in accordance with the bill.
“If someone will file a petition questioning the constitutionality of the law and if the Supreme Court will not issue a TRO, then possibly we will push to continue the registration,” Castillano said.
The Comelec registration is set to end on August 10 to prepare for the BSK election this year. However, it will run until July next year if the president officially signs the postponement to next year.
Castillano added that they are preparing, whether the election will push through or not.
The commission reported a total of 24,506 voter registrant turnout in the Negros Island Region on its first 3 days of registrations, where Negros Occidental recorded the most number of applicants at 15,356, while Negros Oriental had 8,476, and the other 674 were in Siquijor.*
