Congress’ BIG-BIG waste of Money vis-à-vis Brgy Elections

What kind of fucking shit is this ongoing spectacle we have been witnessing for quite a while already?!

What do I mean? It is a fact that the COMELEC has been making pronouncements that for as long as there is no law enacted by Congress saying that this year’s Barangay and SK Elections shall be postponed and/or rescheduled AGAIN (there was already a postponement last year 2016, read below), the COMELEC will simply have to undertake the necessary preparations in the event that a law will not be in place and therefore the elections will push through as scheduled for October 24 of this year. Jesus Christ, My Dear God, why do we allow a pre-scheduled major event like an Election to be rescheduled AGAIN at the whims and caprices and say-so of a President?! Ano na bang kagaguhan ‘yan? The President says that he wants the elections moved to a later date simply because a lot of these barangay captains are allegedly being funded by drug money and we take the President’s pronouncements as gospel truth (not this writer of course)?! Who are these barangay captains alleged to be involved with drug money? How come they have not been named more so charged? Puros naman blanket anonymous trial by publicity and ginagawa mo Mr. President! Please name the barangay captains and file complaint(s) against them!

But the nice thing about these moves to postpone the elections is who gets to be appointed as Barangay Captains? So there once again we will get to witness another fucking spectacle of thousands of kupitans este kapitans marching and lobbying at Malacanang for their appointments, unless of course the law will allow the current kapitans/kagawats este kagawads to be legally hold overs of their positions. Can you just imagine the chaos all this crap of postponement has created?

But the greater concern for this writer is, what has the COMELEC already incurred (expense and resources wise) as it is simply doing its mandate and preparing for the forthcoming elections? Questions should be asked, and this writer is one of those asking the following questions directed of course to the COMELEC and Tongress.

Q-No.1 – How much resources was wasted (spent) for the preparation and eventual first postponement for the year 2016?

Q-No. 2 How much resources/expenses will be spent for the current scheduled elections for the year 2017, if the elections will once again be postponed?

Q-No.3 In the event elections are again postponed, will the hold-overs still hold or will there be some kind of an appointment process, etc?

For now, allow me to share with you in part the following Comelec Resolution:

Resolution No. 10168, Promulgation: 08 November 2016

RULES AND REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10923 ENTITLED, AN ACT POSTPONING THE OCTOBER 2016 BARANGAY AND SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN ELECTIONS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9164, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9340 AND REPUBLIC ACT. NO. 10656, PRESCRIBING ADDITIONAL RULES GOVERNING THE CONDUCT OF BARANGAY AND SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN ELECTIONS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, the Congress of the Philippines, as approved by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, enacted on October 15, 2016 Republic Act No. 10923 postponing the October 31, 2016 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections;

WHEREAS, Republic Act. No 10923 is made effective immediately after its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines;

WHEREAS, on October 22, 2016, Republic Act No .10923 was published in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines namely, the Business Mirror and Manila Bulletin;

WHEREAS, Section 8 of Republic Act No. 10923 directs this Commission to promulgate the rules and regulations implementing said Act, within ninety (90) days after the Act’s effectivity;

NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the powers vested in it by the Constitution, the Omnibus Election Code and pursuant to Republic Act No. 10923, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has RESOLVED, as it hereby RESOLVES to, without prejudice to other rules that it may issue in further implementing R.A. 10923, promulgate the following Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10923:

RULE 1
DATE OF ELECTION
SECTION 1. Postponement of the October 31, 2016 Synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections; Date of New and Subsequent Elections. – The synchronized barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections on October 31, 2016, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9164 as amended by Republic Act No. 9340 and Republic Act No. 10656, is postponed to the fourth Monday of October 2017, that is, October 23, 2017.

Subsequent synchronized barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections shall be held on the second Monday of May 2020 and every three (3) years thereafter.

RULE 2
ASSUMPTION OF OFFICE AND HOLD OVER
SECTION 2. Assumption of Office. – The term of office of the barangay and sangguniang kabataan officials elected during the October 2017 synchronized barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections shall commence at noon of November 30 next following their election.

The term of office of the barangay and sangguniang kabataan officials elected in the May 2020 elections, and subsequently thereafter, shall commence at noon of June 30 next following their election.

SECTION 3. Hold Over. – Until their successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, all incumbent barangay officials shall remain in office, unless sooner removed or suspended for cause.

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