​Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Tuesday, June 3, expressed his opposition to the Senate's plan to pencil in December the Barangay Sangguniang Kabataan (BSK) elections.

Rodriguez said that if such polls are set, it will result to "a very short term" of two years and two months for the BSK officials elected in October 2023.

“The officials will not be given enough time to fully implement their plans, programs and activities which they have promised their constituents,” he said.

It would also lead to further disunity among communities and families in the barangays, ​Rodriguez claimed.

“The wounds and divisions created by the recent elections among our people are still fresh. We cannot afford to have more fractiousness,” he added.

​H​e said pushing through with the December polls would likewise put a heavy pressure on the national coffers​ as the government had just spent tens of billions for the May 12 ​mid-term elections.

He said the BSK balloting will cost at least P8 billion. Such a huge amount would go a long way if it is spent for barangay development projects​ instead.

​R​odriguez then proposed a term of office of five years​ for BSK officers, which he said was a compromise between the two legislative chambers.