Voting 22-0-0 (yes-no-abstain), the Senate, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, approved on third and final reading Senate Bill (SB) No. 2816, also known as an act setting the term of office of barangay officials and members of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK).
Senate bill setting 4-year term for barangay, SK officials OK'd
At a glance
Voting 22-0-0 (yes-no-abstain), the Senate, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, approved on third and final reading Senate Bill (SB) No. 2816, also known as an act setting the term of office of barangay officials and members of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK).
“With the longer fixed term, the barangay officials and members of the SK will deepen their understanding of both national and local issues, as well as implement their own medium and long term initiative at the barangay level,” Senator Imee Marcos explained during her sponsorship speech.
The bill states that “The term of office of all elected barangay officials and members of the SK shall be four years."
"No elective barangay official shall serve for more than three consecutive terms in the same position. Voluntary renunciation of office for any length of time shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of service for the full term for which the elective official was elected,” it said.
The bill further stated that “The next regular barangay and SK elections shall be held on the first Monday of October 2027 and every four years thereafter. The term of office of barangay officials and members of the SK elected subsequent to the effectivity of this Act shall commence on the first day of November following their election.”
Once passed into law, all incumbent barangay officials and members of the SK shall remain in office unless sooner removed or suspended for cause until their successors shall have been elected and qualified.
Incumbent elective barangay officials serving their third consecutive term in the same position shall not be eligible to run for the same position in the October 2027 Barangay and SK elections.
Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla also expressed support to the bill. He says that this stresses how the barangay is defined under the Local Government Code.
"As the basic political unit, it serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects and activities in the community, and as a forum wherein the collective views of the people may be expressed, crystalized and considered, and where disputes are amicably settled,'" he said.
"Ito mismo ang binigyan natin ng diin - kung paanong nagsisilbing tulay ang ating mga barangay upang mas mapabilis at matiwasay ang pagpapadaloy ng mga programa ng ating pamahaalan derecho mismo sa mga mamamayan (This is exactly what we emphasized - how our barangays serve as a bridge to facilitate and ensure the smooth delivery of government programs directly to the citizens)," he added.