Senators are divided over the proposal to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) elections for this year, saying such a move requires serious study.

“Although Congress has the power to suspend the election, it is necessary to study whether it is legal to do so,” Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said in a message to reporters.

“If the oil crisis is the reason for postponing the BSKE, we need to examine whether it is within the Supreme Court (SC) guidelines in 2023,” he pointed out.

Moreover, Ejercito noted, this would be another “temporary suspension” and may negatively impact local government units (LGUs) as many Filipinos are keen on exercisign their right to suffrage.

“Many of our countrymen want to choose their next local leader. There may also be some young people who are missing the opportunity to serve and are beyond their ‘productive years,” he said.

“Too bad. The best leaders might have just missed their opportunities because of the suspension of elections,” added Ejercito.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo, meanwhile, believes suspending the BSKE would be practical as it would provide the government more savings to effectively respond to the current oil crisis.

“(It’s a) good point. Suspending barangay and SK election will save the government huge amount of money which can be used if this crisis will continue,” Tulfo said.

Earlier, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian rejected the idea of suspending the BSKE as the SC itself has already made a decision that the barangay elections cannot be suspended at will.

“The SC said when we last suspended it, that’s the last one, and you can’t suspend it anymore, because you’re just making up any excuse,” Gatchalian pointed out in a DZBB interview on Sunday, April 19.

Gatchalian warned that postponement of the BSKE anew would lead to loss of democracy and loss of opportunity for Filipinos to choose their candidates.

“So if you ask me, first of all, it's unconstitutional. And second, it should continue because second and this is the third suspension here. And third, many people are hoping to choose their local leaders,”  he said.

However, Sen. Imee Marcos welcomed the plan as “prudence demands that we prioritize the allocation of limited public resources” now that the country is facing serious economic challenges brought about by the conflict in the Middle East.

“According to Comelec (Commission on Elections) during the budget hearing last year, nationwide barangay and SK elections will require around P16-billion. This sum can be more urgently directed toward addressing the immediate needs of our people, including rising fuel costs, food security, and essential public services,” Marcos said in a statement, also on Sunday, April 19.

“In times such as these, continuity of leadership at the grassroots level can help ensure stability and more efficient delivery of public services,” she said.