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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Rodriguez urges PBBM to sign Congress-approved bill on Barangay, SK term extension

Rodriguez urges PBBM to sign Congress-approved bill on Barangay, SK term extension

Published Jun 16, 2025 11:10 am

At A Glance

  • Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Monday, June 16, called on President Marcos to sign into law the Congress-approved measure fixing the terms of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSK) officials.
Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (PPAB)
Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (PPAB)
Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Monday, June 16, called on President Marcos to sign into law the Congress-approved measure fixing the terms of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSK) officials.
Rodriguez, who has long been pushing for the conduct of the next BSK elections in May 2029 instead of December 2025, made the appeal after election lawyer Romulo Macalintal called on the President to junk the proposed measure that set the term of office and schedule of elections of BSK officials.
“There is no issue or debate that Congress possesses the power to fix their term of office of BSK officials and consequently to reset their election,” Rodriguez said, expressing his disagreement with Macalintal.
According to Rodriguez, it is in the exercise of such power that the Senate and the House of Representatives approved their respective versions of the bill and ratified the consolidated version before adjourning last week.
He reiterated that if the next BSK elections were held in December this year as scheduled, village officers would have a shortened tenure of only two years.
“It would be unfair to them because the law gives other local officials a three-year term of office, he said.
BSK officials should enjoy the same privilege, which they would if their elections were postponed to November next year as proposed in the consolidated bill, he added.
He said that if the BSK elections were held in December, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will be spending P12 billion, which he said could be better used for development projects in the country's 42,046 barangays.
“Also, if BSK elections will be held this December, our country will be conducting three elections in one year: the recent May 12 national and local elections, the October 13 elections for BARMM and the December 1 BSK elections. This will result in multiple unnecessary expenses running to billions and billions of pesos,” he said.
Rodriguez also disputed Macalintal’s position that the bill covers three different subject matters, which would make it in violation of the Constitution.
“There is only one subject matter of the bill, i. e. the change of term of BSK officials,” he said.
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