DIPOLOG CITY, (PIA)— The Commission on Elections-Zamboanga del Norte is ready to hold the Sangguniang Kabataan and Barangay Election on October 31, 2016.
In the recent “Kapihan sa Dipolog” forum, Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Jossil R. Macute said though the Senate and the House of Representatives are in agreement for the postponement of the Sangguniang Kabataan and Barangay elections, as long as there is no law enacted to that effect, the election is a “go.”
Macute said, Comelec has temporarily suspended the printing of the official ballots and other election paraphernalia because these are dated. However, all other preparations in the lower level are either done already or are still going on.
“Except for the conduct of trainers’ training, the local Comelec has already almost completed its preparations like the identification of voting precincts, and the teachers who will be serving as members of the Board of Election Tellers (BETs) during election day.We are 80 to 90 percent ready in our preparation for the SK and Barangay Elections,” Macute said.
He hoped that Senate and the House of Representatives could come up with an appropriate law as soon possible, either to hold or postpone the said political exercise.
Under Republic Act No. 10742, otherwise known as the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act signed by then President Benigno Aquino III, the age qualification of the SK candidates was raised from 15-17 to 18 to 24 years old, as well as raising to 30 years old the voters who could vote for SK candidates.(ALT/ATR/PIA9-Zamboanga del Norte)