Aksyon Demokratiko presidential bet Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso supports the postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on December 5 this year.

During his sortie in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija on Thursday, Domagoso said the SK and Barangay elections are scheduled only seven months after the May national elections and that holding an election is expensive for the country.

He said instead of holding another election, the fund allocated for the December local elections may be used to give aid that may benefit millions of Filipinos.

“Huwag na munang ituloy yung barangay elections this year. Kakatapos lang ng national elections sa May, tapos (Let’s postpone the barangay elections this year. The national elections just finished in May, then) another election for barangay officials in December. Better to use the allocated money for ‘ayuda’ and other urgent needs of the people in these difficult times,” he said.

At the House of Representatives, House Bill 10425 seeking to postpone Dec. 5, 2022, to May 6, 2024 was filed by Davao Oriental Rep. Joel Almario as early as November last year.

The national government has allocated some PHP8 billion from the national budget for the barangay and SK elections this year.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11462 in 2019 or the postponement of the May 2020 barangay and SK elections to December 2022.

Under the said law, village elections after the December 2022 vote will subsequently take place on the first Monday of December 2025 and every three years thereafter.

Domagoso said the local elections should be moved after the national elections or even a year and a half.

“Yung perang gagamitin natin sa eleksyon, magamit natin para ipang-ayuda sa tao, katulad nung gasolina, or ipang-ayuda sa pagkain, or ipambili natin ng fertilizer at ipamahagi sa magsasaka (The fund intended for the elections may be used to give assistance to the people, like for gasoline and fuel, or food assistance, or maybe we can use that to buy fertilizers to be distributed to farmers),” he said.

Domagoso also called on the country’s economic managers to look for ways to provide immediate relief for the people as there is a continuing economic crisis brought about by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“Our economic managers should look at these problems with the same ‘malasakit’ (concern) that President Duterte has shown in the past five years as the country’s chief executive,” he said. (PNA)