House adopts Senate bill on BSKE

“We have been informed that the committee on local government, sponsor of House Bill 10971 as well as authors thereof, are in concurrence with the provisions of Senate Bill 2387,” Sorsogon Rep. Bernadette Escudero said.

STAR / Ernie Penaredondo

MANILA, Philippines — In a move to hasten the process, the House of Representatives has decided to adopt the approved measure of the Senate providing five-year terms for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials as the BSK elections on Nov. 2 draw near.

“We have been informed that the committee on local government, sponsor of House Bill 10971 as well as authors thereof, are in concurrence with the provisions of Senate Bill 2387,” Sorsogon Rep. Bernadette Escudero said.

“In accordance with our rules, I move to adopt SB 2387 as an amendment to HB 10971,” she declared during yesterday’s plenary session.

The Senate and House measures seek to postpone the Nov. 2 BSKE this year and move this to the second Monday of November 2028, or a few months after the May 2028 presidential elections.

The House’s decision does away with the convening of the bicameral conference committee where senators and congressmen will still have to discuss and reconcile conflicting versions of their respective bills. Through this, HB 10971 will then be harmonized with SB 2387.

Senators have set a two-term limit for village officials and a single-term for youth officials.

The same measure also provided that beneficiaries of the two-year extension will be considered to have served one full five-year term, while those on their last term will be prohibited from seeking another term for the same position.