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Pimentel hails SC ruling declaring law postponing barangay, SK polls unconstitutional
Philippines
National
Pimentel hails SC ruling declaring law postponing barangay, SK polls unconstitutional
Pimentel hails SC ruling declaring law postponing barangay, SK polls unconstitutional
Published Jun 28, 2023 06:38 am
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Wednesday, June 23, welcomed the Supreme Court's decision declaring the postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) elections in December, 2022 as unconstitutional.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III (MB file photo)
Pimentel III had strongly opposed the postponement of the barangay and SK elections and voted against Republic Act 11935, rescheduling the elections to October, 2023. "This decision validated my earlier stand that there was no compelling reason to delay the barangay and SK elections," said Pimentel as he emphasized “the importance of regular, periodic, fair, free, honest, and accurate elections as essential components of an inclusive and functioning democracy.” He emphasized that the SC ruling would effectively prevent the recurring practice of postponing the barangay and SK elections to the detriment of the Filipino people and our democratic processes. In its decision, the Supreme Court concluded that Republic Act 11935 violated the freedom of suffrage, “as it failed to satisfy the requisites of the substantive aspect of the due process clause of the Constitution.” The Supreme Court found that ‘there was no legitimate government interest or objective to support the legislative measure.” In agreement with the Supreme Court, the former Senate President and 1990 bar topnotcher, said: “The postponement, without any compelling reason, undermined the constitutional rights of suffrage and weakens the foundation of our democratic institutions.” Pimentel firmly believes that there was no compelling reason to disregard the law that had set the barangay and SK elections for December 2022. "The Barangay and SK elections would have been a very good opportunity to conduct a referendum on the performance of the incumbent, especially in relation to their handling of the pandemic response," Pimentel said. Pimentel said with the Supreme Court's ruling, a significant milestone has been achieved in safeguarding the democratic processes. He lamented how the postponement deprived a whole generation of potentially-capable Filipino youth the chance to lead their sectors through the SK system.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III (MB file photo)
Pimentel III had strongly opposed the postponement of the barangay and SK elections and voted against Republic Act 11935, rescheduling the elections to October, 2023. "This decision validated my earlier stand that there was no compelling reason to delay the barangay and SK elections," said Pimentel as he emphasized “the importance of regular, periodic, fair, free, honest, and accurate elections as essential components of an inclusive and functioning democracy.” He emphasized that the SC ruling would effectively prevent the recurring practice of postponing the barangay and SK elections to the detriment of the Filipino people and our democratic processes. In its decision, the Supreme Court concluded that Republic Act 11935 violated the freedom of suffrage, “as it failed to satisfy the requisites of the substantive aspect of the due process clause of the Constitution.” The Supreme Court found that ‘there was no legitimate government interest or objective to support the legislative measure.” In agreement with the Supreme Court, the former Senate President and 1990 bar topnotcher, said: “The postponement, without any compelling reason, undermined the constitutional rights of suffrage and weakens the foundation of our democratic institutions.” Pimentel firmly believes that there was no compelling reason to disregard the law that had set the barangay and SK elections for December 2022. "The Barangay and SK elections would have been a very good opportunity to conduct a referendum on the performance of the incumbent, especially in relation to their handling of the pandemic response," Pimentel said. Pimentel said with the Supreme Court's ruling, a significant milestone has been achieved in safeguarding the democratic processes. He lamented how the postponement deprived a whole generation of potentially-capable Filipino youth the chance to lead their sectors through the SK system.