ORMOC CITY Mayor Lucy Marie Torres-Gomez concurs with the idea of postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, which is, accordingly, set to happen on December 5, 2022.
According to Mayor Gomez, the said election can wait, adding that “it is not an urgent concern and funds can be better utilized for government programs that would be beneficial in the nation’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In addition, she said, the postponement of the election gives people time to heal from what was a “contentious and divisive” election.
To recall, Leyte 4th District Representative Richard I. Gomez called on other lawmakers to suspend the barangay and SK elections to give way to more urgent issues that need budget allocation; and that rescheduling the said elections will save the government up to Php 8 billion.
Gomez said House Bill 937 seeks to postpone the elections scheduled for December 5 to a later date to allow the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos to reallocate the budget to other government programs, which include the country’s food security program amid the looming food crisis.
According to Gomez, if the election is postponed to 2023, the national government will have financial breathing room following the recent May 2022 elections and will have actual funds to boost the agriculture sector. (By Gwen Maurillo, EV Mail July 18-24, 2022 Issue)
