Albay second district Representative Joey Salceda said that the bill seeking the postponement of the 2022 barangay elections will be passed before the end of August.
Speaking at the weekly “Kapihan sa Manila Bay“ media forum at Café Adriatico in Malate on Wednesday, Salceda said the bill proposes the rescheduling of the elections to May 2023 and fixes the term of elected village leaders to five years.
“The present term of barangay officials is three years, and this is not enough for a leader,” said Salceda. “Four years — maybe enough, but five years is good enough to finish their programs and projects.”
The postponement of the barangay elections could save the government around P7.1 billion pesos that could be spent by the new administration on urgent services given the rising cost of food, according to Salceda. He noted that with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. now also serving as head of the Department of Agriculture, he could use the funds to subsidize the agriculture sector to help lower the cost of prime agricultural products.
Per Salceda, the proposed bill also contains provisions that allow for the quick removal of an erring chairman based on complaints by at least four kagawad, which can then be grounds for a recall and the holding of a special election.