The Senate passed a bill postponing barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections from December 2022 to December 2023 was approved on third and final reading on Tuesday.

Senate Bill (SB) No. 1306 was approved after gaining 17 affirmative votes and two negative votes. Last week, the House also approved its counterpart measure, House Bill (HB) No. 4673, on third and final reading.

The measure also directs the Commission on Audit (COA) to submit a report to Congress on the budget used in the rescheduled elections.

Senator Imee Marcos, who sponsored the bill, said it would give lawmakers more time to study issues concerning the SK and barangay system.

“This proposed election postponement is a means to buy us time for a series of measures that the Committee on Electoral Reforms and People's Participation is proposing to Congress. This is merely a preliminary measure to give us time to study and debate the deeper issues confronting the barangay and SK systems under our present law," Marcos said in her sponsorship speech. Jaspearl Tan/DMS