DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, August 8 (PIA) -- Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) National Board of Trustees Dr. Arwin Serrano has urged Congress to let the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Dec. 5, 2022 proceed as scheduled.

Serrano said the conduct of the BSKE has long been suspended, and he has been calling on Congress leaders "to hear the clamour of the people to push through with the BSKE this December.”

The last barangay elections were held in May 2018.

The grassroots leadership in the barangay needs to have a new breed of officials with fresh mandate to deliver noble services in the barangay, Serrano said.

“Even the SK officials who were elected or appointed, they are already grown up and exceeded already the maximum age for SK candidates or age coverage,” he added.

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) also wanted the BSKE to push through, even as some lawmakers floated another postponement to save funds for a stimulus bill.

However, the PPCRV said the budget of P8.4B was already set aside by Comelec to be able to have the political exercise this December.

The PPCRV cited that the recent voters registration campaign exceeded their expectations, as Comelec has set a target of 1.2 million, but the initial results showed about 2.4 million new registered voters in preparation for the Dec. 5, 2022 BSKE.

In his visit to Dumaguete, Serrano met the members of the Diocesan Electoral Board (DEB) and asked them to brace for the preparations of the Dec. 5 elections, as well as to start for the next national and local elections in 2025 right after the BSKE.

The poll watchdog group is not in favor of having 2025 national and local elections be conducted as a hybrid type of polls.

However, Serrano said the group is open for further discussion of the hybrid proposal, but he said that Congress should be able to convene the electoral reforms and suffrage committee so that the hybrid elections can be tackled earlier. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental)