House fails to act on bill postponing barangay, SK polls

It seems that President Benigno Simeon Aquino III's wish will come true after all as Congress failed to act on the bill seeking the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections set for October this year. The House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms on Monday failed to act on the consolidated bill seeking to postpone the barangay and youth polls after lawmakers agreed to defer the discussion to Wednesday. Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez asked the committee to vote on the bill postponing the two polls. However, Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla asked that the matter about committee membership be tackled first, to which the committee agreed. Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte believed the deferment was an “attempt to dribble the decision of the committee." “Time is of the essence here. There is no impediment as those members who could not vote in the committee can vote when the issue is raised before the plenary which is more important," he said. Meanwhile, House minority leader Rep Edcel Lagman said the committee is fully functional and operational despite the "non-election" of other lawmakers to the committee. During the hearing, Villafuerte asked if there is now a “change in political wind going along" due to the apparent change in attitude of some of their colleagues. Lagman then asked Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, suffrage committee chairman, about a reported meeting of some House leaders on the matter Sunday. Barzaga admitted there had been meeting, claiming it was reportedly called by House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, a partymate of President Aquino. Asked about the concensus reached during the meeting, Barzaga said there was none and Belmonte will be calling a majority caucus this week to know the sentiments of the House members on the issue. Among those who attended the meeting were Barzaga, Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez, Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian, Batangas Rep. Mark Llandro Mendoza, Remulla, Majority floor leader Neptali Gonzales II, Cavite Rep. Erineo Maliksi and Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya. Lagman then warned his colleagues that it is “treason against the House and the committee" if they set aside their stand “just because the President has a different position." Move not to postpone elections In an interview with reporters, Villafuerte said there is evidence that there is a move not to postpone the elections. “(Malacanang’s hand is) very obvious sa attendance, very obvious sa vote ," he said, noting that even the ex-officio members of the committee such as the deputy speakers and majority leaders who were not regular committee members and not present in the last hearing attended Monday’s proceedings. Among those present during the proceedings were Deputy Speakers Lorenzo Tanada III, Raul Daza, Remulla and Maria Isabelle Climaco. “You will find out on Wednesday and you will see the directionis there is going to have a move on the part of the majority to push through with the October elections and not to postpone it," Villafuerte said. He added the House leadership can easily fast track the approval of the bill if it really wants to. –VVP, GMANews.TV