After a series of adjustments in the calendar of activities in relation to the 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) still slated for December this year, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Wednesday, Sept. 28 that there will be no movement in the schedule as of now.
"Technically wala na pong masyadong magagalaw po na schedule. Eksakto na po yung schedule natin (Technically there will be no movement in our schedule. Our schedule is definite)," he said in an interview on DZMM Teleradyo.
It can be recalled that instead of Oct. 6, the filing of the Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) for the December 2022 BSKE will now start on Oct. 22.
Based on the updated Calendar of Activities of the Comelec, the filing of COC is from Oct. 22 to 29, 2022 except Oct. 23. The poll body earlier set the filing of COC from Oct. 6 to 13.
On the other hand, they are looking to start with the printing of the ballots for BSKE by Thursday, Sept. 29. Garcia said that they could no longer delay it and that he will be going to the National Printing Office (NPO) and will embed the secret marking of the ballots for the BSKE.
Meanwhile, Garcia explained that there is one provision in the Senate's version of the measure seeking to postpone the BSKE from December of this year to December 2023 which is not in the version of the House of Representatives (HOR).
Given this scenario, Garcia said that there will be a bicameral conference committee to discuss the said provision. He was referring to the provision in the Senate's version wherein it is stated that all SK candidates qualified for the supposed BSKE in 2022, should also be qualified in case it will be rescheduled to December 2023.
According to Garcia, this situation may be the one that can further delay the passing of the proposed measure into law.
Senate approved the measure to postpone the BSKE voting 17-2. Seventeen senators voted in the affirmative while two senators voted against the postponement.