MACROHON, Southern Leyte (PIA) -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is getting ready for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections which by law is slated to be held December 5, this year, according to Atty. Jose Nick Mendros, the incoming Comelec regional director.

The level of preparations, Mendros said,  was such that as soon as all the elections officers shall have gone back to their original stations, the cleansing of voters’ list, to see who voted and did not vote in the May 9 elections, shall be in earnest, granting there is no move in Congress for yet another postponement.

By August, acting on a directive from the central office, if any, will be the registration of new voters, Mendros said in an interview with local media at Kuting Beach Resort, this town, Wednesday, June 22, on the sidelines of an activity that honored partner agencies for the successful holding of this year’s polls in the province.

On rumors there will be no barangay and SK elections once again, Mendros said the poll body’s task was to prepare, leaving it to policymakers in Congress the fate of the grassroots balloting.

“There should be a fresh mandate,” Mendros said, adding that the last time barangay and SK elections were held was in 2018.

When pushed through, six (6) out of 70 barangays in Maasin City -- Tigbawan, Bactul 1, Bactul 2, Cagnituan, Gawisan, and Tawid  -- which have no SKs will have a chance to fill up the vacant youth leaders’ posts. (LDL/MMP/PIA8-Southern Leyte)